But It's MORE than Just Pie
by CandleHeadButt
Summary: A continuation of But It's Only Pie, Ralph and Vanellope find themselves baking pies alongside the Nicelanders of Niceland and discover that there is indeed more to the little NPCs than just pie. What will our wrecking hero and racer learn about these guys that no one else seems to know? Maybe this punishment isn't so bad.
1. Apple and Raspberry

Chapter One – Apple and Raspberry

"Ya know tha deal." Calhoun smiled as she lead Vanellope out of Sugar Rush "Ya have to bake a pie with EVERY Nicelander in tha buildin', PRESIDENT."

"Aw, really?" Vanellope grumped, hoping that after her session with Mary Calhoun would let her off the hook but considering that Calhoun was now CARRYING her by her hoodie, the racer was shown that the marine's memory was as sharp as her aim.

"Now, now. You're actin' as if bakin' pies is tha WORST thing ya could do." Hummed the marine "Less ya wanna go out an' scoop up Cybug doodie for a month…"

"What?! EW!" Vanellope gagged "How does that even WORK?! I thought Cybugs were all machine!"

"They lay EGGS so it HAS to work." Chuckled Calhoun, trying to hide her amusement at the girl's pouting.

The two boarded the trolley to Fix-it-Felix Jr, arriving just in time to see the little people milling about and cleaning up as they usually did. Vanellope looked around, a bit of guilt hitting her as she watched the troupe working together.

It was hard to look back at what she had caused only a few days ago, some horrid miscommunications and rumors at Tapper's launching the girl into an all-out attack on the people. If anything, it had only proved to the girl she was just as susceptible as everyone else in the arcade to fall victim to rumors and gossip and no matter her role in the game, no matter her own powers, there was no excuse to what she had done to the Nicelanders.

She could hear their tiny feet tapping on the grounds as they worked together to clean up the building. Vanellope realized that for all the talk she had done about them, she had never really taken any time to just stop and watch them herself. She had been told by others that the Nicelanders never did anything, that they let Ralph and Felix do all the work but before her they were working together, going here and there as Felix did his own repair work, making sure everything was spick and span, that other characters were taken care of. A few Nicelanders were tending to those in East Niceland while another were putting the final touches on the front of the apartment.

They were all pitching in.

"Easy, Ralph! EASY!"

A little voice hit Vanellope's ears, the girl turn to see Ralph and Gene trying to put the picnic tables back into place, the little mayor dangling his feet in the air as Ralph playfully held his end a little too high.

"Heh, ya okay Big Guy?" snickered Ralph, enjoying watching the tiny man hanging on.

Gene looked down, trying to get a good eye on where his feet would land had he actually been on the ground.

"To the left, to the left! Everything has to be pixel-perfect!"

"Geeze, Gene! I don't think they players are gonna notice THAT much of a difference!"

"HA! You say that, young man!" they mayor huffed "They see one thing off, ONE thing and it's-!"

"Kid!" Ralph said happily, Gene going to the ground "'Bout time ya showed up! Ready to head off to Tapper's?"

"Not tonight, she's not." Smiled Calhoun "Tonight, she has other things planned."

"Pardon MEH?" the wrecker asked, missing the smirk on his friend's face "Is there somethin' I'm missin'?"

"Oh, do not tell me the GREAT and POWERFUL Ralph has forgotten our deal." Said Calhoun "Lil Miss Candy-Butt here still has to bake pies with the Nicelanders to make up for the rather unfortunate events that became this GREAT HALL."

Gene looked off to the side, his ears starting to burn. Thankfully, it seemed that none of the others had taken notice in him and without saying so much as a word the little mayor quickly darted off for the apartments.

What was HIS problem?

"Ooooh, yeah…." Ralph grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck "G-Guess I forgot about it."

Calhoun tapped the man's forehead, a curtly smile on her face "Forgot? A wrecker never forgets, Wreck-It. Somethin' tells me BOTH of ya were hopin' I would have forgotten."

Both racer and wrecker looked down at the grass guilty, Calhoun erupting into laughter seconds after.

"I swear, this entire arcade is filled with BRATS!" the marine laughed "Ya two should be glad I'm goin' SOFT on ya 'cause for this? I would have sent ya BOTH ta shovel up Cybug manure."

"Wait, how does that even WORK?!" asked Ralph.

"That's what I asked!" Vanellope said "They're MACHINES. They can lay eggs, still. But HOW-?!"

"Okay, while you two wrap your heads around that conundrum, bake some pies…" Calhoun said as she took both by their collars and dragged them up the steps of Niceland "Startin' on tha lower levels an' workin' your way up!"

"Urrgh, this I gonna be tha worst punishment EVER." Moaned Vanellope "An' I live in a world that is nothin' BUT sweets!"

"Ya told me ya had a great time with Ms. Mary." Calhoun said, walking behind the two "What's so wrong about this?"

Vanellope said nothing, remembering the story that Mary had told her.

It still hurt her a bit to learn that her own actions were just a reflection of many things that had happened in the past that eventually lead up to Ralph's isolation for the group. To think that she might have been rekindling it made her skin bristle with goose-bumps; she didn't want to cause that much trouble, even if she did love pranks and wanted to protect her friend.

With Mary, Vanellope felt a sense of welcome, a sense of warmth and acceptance that she had always wanted and never had expected from a Nicelander but this was Nicelander Mary she was dealing with. For those in the arcade that actually had RESPECT for the Nicelanders, they knew her as the sweetest, kindest, most warmest person they could know. She was always there with a pie in hand and an ear to lend to them. Of course SHE would understand. Of course SHE would forgive Vanellope for what had happened.

But the others?

_Vanellope was not too sure._

She was learning the hard way that the Nicelanders were not just one mass of think, the only thing separating them being the slight details of their designs. After what had happened with the pies, Vanellope realized that they were people, that they all had their own thoughts and ways of dealing with what was going on around them.

And with that, who knew if EVERYONE would be as welcoming as Mary.

If anything, THAT was what made Vanellope so nervous. That was the thing that made her sick to her stomach about baking with the Nicelanders.

She was scared of being rejected and this time, it wouldn't be because of something someone ELSE did but by HER actions.

But if she were half the president she presented herself as, she was going to have to bite the bullet….or in this case, PIE.

"So who's first?" asked Calhoun. Ralph looked down the hall, noticing the first number.

"Ah, I-I think Lucy lives here."

Calhoun arched a brow "THINK?"

"W-well, it's not like I'm familiar with their living spaces after all."

"I thought ya said ya knew EVERYTHIN' about this guys." The marine said, knocking on the door.

"M-Maybe I don't." Ralph mumbled "It's not like I had a chance to figure it out."

"Then maybe this is your chance." The marine smiled, giving Ralph a devious grin "After all, Vanellope could use some hands, if ya get my hint."

Ralph got it; he got it good.

Seemed that Vanellope wasn't the only in store for some pie baking this time.

"Who is it?" came a voice from the other side.

"It's Sargent Calhoun." The marine said "We have some VISITORS for ya!"

The tumbler on the door clanked, Lucy opening it to looked up at the taller characters. She looked most astonished to see Ralph peering down at her but a second later, the Nicelander let out a laugh, hands going to her hips.

"Oh, an' here I thought ya wanted to trade bakin' pies for shovlin' up Cybug-!"

"DON'T…..say it." Vanellope broke in, a little surprised that LUCY had overheard them somehow "I, um…well….Other than HELLO, I don't know what else to say, Ms?"

"Lucile." The young woman said tartly "Nicelander Lucile but drop all that guff. Just call me Lucy!"

Vanellope looked, feeling as she were looking at her own toothy grin the way Lucy was smirking at her.

"W-well, Lucy, it's nice to meet ya…on better terms that is."

"Good to see ya too, munchikin! C'mon in!"

Wow, Lucy was being VERY friendly but Vanellope and Ralph still felt a bit nervous. The group walked into the apartment, Ralph feeling increasingly claustrophobic in the tiny space, even more so once he realized that there was so much crammed into the small space.

"Geeze, what do ya guys keep in he-?"

"Ralph?"

The big man looked down, seeing Tony looking up at him in shock.

"Tony?"

"W-what are YOU doing here?" the smaller man asked, looking just as confused as ever.

"Urgh, Anthony! Don't tell me ya forgot!"

The man turned, looking at the annoyed woman "Forgot WHAT?"

Lucy rolled her eyes "'Bout our pie date with Vanellope! We were the first on tha list, 'member?"

Tony put a finger to his lips, brain working a bit. His eyes then lit up as he smiled "Ah, YES! Now I remember! But I thought they were gonna start from the TOP to the BOTTOM."

Lucy gave the man a miffed look, walking up and knocking his head with her hands "Hell-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I think your brain might be missin' again, TONY."

Calhoun turned away, trying not to laugh; these guys were nonstop entertainment.

Lucy took a few chairs from the table, waving towards them "Okay, off your feet before all the real work begins! Want some soda, coffee? We got plenty in the fridge!"

"Er, that's fine." Calhoun said "I have some things I gotta take care of back in my own game. THESE two are tha ones who you're gonna be dealin' with so make sure they're on their best behavior!"

Lucy gave Calhoun a salute, a cheeky grin on her face "Yes, Ma'am! An' if they misbehave?"

Calhoun patted the side-arm on her belt, winking at the woman "I trust ya know what ta do."

Ralph paled once he realized exactly what Calhoun was talking about "What the-?! Ya didn't sneak 'em WEAPONS while we were sleepin', did ya?!"

"BYE, RALPH!"

The door then slammed, leaving wrecker and racer alone with the two Nicelanders. Lucy smiled brightly as she hopped over to the kitchen.

"Okay! Seein' as we have tha, eh-heh, RULES laid out…."

Ralph's eyes darted around the apartment "Don't misbehave or I'll probably see somethin' that will haunt my nightmares?"

"RIGHT!" smiled Lucy "Let's get started!"

"Which pie should we make?" said Tony, walking over to Lucy "You know we both have our own."

"Oooh, good point." The young woman said "But since we made our promise to Calhoun, I guess makin' BOTH of 'em wouldn't hurt!"

"Wait, you two make different pies?" asked Ralph.

Lucy and Tony looked over at the other characters, their mirrored actions sending a chill down their spines.

"I thought you knew, Ralph." Said Lucy.

"Uh, well…." The wrecker felt a little embarrassed "I-I DO know ya have different flavors…I just don't know who makes what."

Lucy clapped her hands together "Aaah, then you're in for a treat! Prepare yourselves, because you're gonna make Lucile and Anthony's GREATEST APPLE AND RASPBERRY PIE! EV'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sparks and fireworks seemed to ERUPT behind Lucy as she posed in the kitchen, Ralph and Vanellope looking on in awe. Out of the excitement, Tony tapped the young Nicelander on the shoulder.

"Lucy?"

"Oh, what is it?"

"Sorry to be so prudent like this but considering I am the older one, I should be firs-GWANGHY!"

Tony could not say another word as Lucy had reached up and PINCHED his nose, the gentlemen Nicelander squirming a bit in the hold.

"Tooooooony, of all the things for you to remember, it's THAT!"

"Urgh, SAW-WEE!"

"Wow, I guess you two make a lovely couple!" said Vanellope with a smile but her smile faded a bit once she saw the looks of horror on the two Nicelanders' faces, Ralph saying nothing as he scratched his chin.

"COUPLE?"

"Er, did I say somethin' wrong?"

Lucy suddenly exploded into a fit of laughter, Tony turning away to rub his sore nose. Vanellope was so horribly confused to what was going on, only wanting to know just what everyone thought was so hilarious.

"R-Ralph?"

"_Kid…"_ Ralph said in a comforting tone, a hand on the racer's shoulder _"They're brother an' sister."_

Vanellope's face flushed as red as cherry, hands going to her mouth.

_Oops._

After the confusion had been cleared up, the pie baking began.

"Put the hair net on!" Lucy said to Vanellope "Ya think I pin my hair back up like this ta be a prude? Nope! Even I care 'bout makin' sure my work area is clean!"

"Okay, okay!" the girl said, struggling a bit with her long hair "Gimmie a moment!"

"Anthony!" Lucy said, twirling her fingers.

"Yes, sis?"

"The MUSIC, if you please!"

"Of course!" replied the older brother, going to the CD player. The Nicelander thumbed through the MASSIVE collection of music, picking out one particular CD.

"This good?"

"What is it?"

Tony looked at the label "DDR. Full Mix 2003 Edition."

"Is that the one where they have a dual-side an' tha songs are sung BACKWARDS an' at a pitch higher?"

"Yes?"

"Good." Lucy smiled "Put it on…..but aim the CD player at the vent."

Ralph and Vanellope looked at each other.

Wouldn't it have been a better idea to aim the player AWAY from the vent?

"Ah, now for the raspberries!" Lucy tittered as she handed Vanellope a large basket "Fresh from the gardens, washed an' ready!"

The racer looked down at the fruit; they were smaller and more cube shaped then the ENORMOUS bouncy berries she was used to in her own home but she popped on in her mouth anyway, the sweet flavor quickly filling her mouth.

"Ya like?" the Nicelander smiled.

Vanellope nodded "Mmm, YES!"

"We always make sure to pick our fruit to tha, as Roy so ELOQUENTLY puts it, 'the quintessential point of ripeness! The PEAK of true flavor!'"

Vanellope couldn't help but giggle as the woman did an impression of the worry-wart Nicelander.

"There, I got ya laughin'! Now don't pull a Gene on me!" snorted the Nicelander "Mayor Booty Shorts ALWAYS manages to find a way to sneak tastes in before anything is done! Always goin' on that he's the mayor an' he can eat us outta house n' home because of it, blah-blah-blah! Hmph, he thinks he can do whatever he want cus I'm tha baby of the group! No fair!"

"Mmph, I wouldn't do that!" said Vanellope "I would ASK before takin' anythin'!"

Ralph rolled his eyes "Sure 'bout that?"

"Good girl!" Lucy smiled, patting the racer on the head "See, I don't understand why ANYONE would hate ya! You're so cute!"

Vanellope felt herself blush again, unable to really think of anything to say with the way Lucy was dotting on her. It was so odd to have a character be this open towards her, even though EVERYONE knew that the little racer was one of the primary figures of the fight that had been going on for the past week.

Maybe Lucy was different. Maybe Lucy was just as forgiving as Mary, at least that's what Vanellope was starting to think. Ralph looked over, feeling happy to see the Nicelanders warming up to his friend. He too had been worried how others would react but had he known, he had realized how the Nicelanders would act….

"_Wow, I never knew…."_

"Ralph, want do the honors with the dough?" said Tony.

"Er, sure." The wrecker smiled, pounding and flattening the dough to perfection "Who needs a rollin' oin when ya got THESE bad boys?"

Lucy smiled as she began to wash and slice apples, finding that things were going along great with two extra sets of hands in the kitchen.

"Mmm-hmmm, maybe we should rent ya guys out more often!" said the younger Nicelander "Then we won't have ta work as much!"

"Now, Lucile…" Tony scolded "This…this is just for a temporary fix. It would be unfair if we dragged these two away from their own fun just to bake pies."

"Actually, I don't mind it that much." Said Vanellope, trying to work on her own pile of dough "I baked a pie with Ms. Mary tha other day. It was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be but it was so much fun."

Vanellope looked over, surprised to see such a smile of warmth on Lucile's face, especially after the wave of cheekiness she had always put on the others. Maybe it was the mention of Mary that had brought on the change.

"Ah, Ms. Mary…." Lucy said "She's like tha other mother I have since my backstory mom isn't in the game."

"_Neither are the OTHER tons of brothers and sisters we're supposed to have, thank goodness…"_ chuckled Tony "But yes, bless Mary's heart. If Felix isn't watching over us, it's her."

Ralph looked over; the Nicelanders always did seem to watch over each other, even if they did quarrel from time to time. Maybe Mary was putting more on her plate than he first thought.

"U-Uh, Ms. Lucy? Mr. tony?" Vanellope squeaked.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"I-I….I wanna say sorry."

Tony looked rather confused, preparing the butter glaze for the pie "For what, young lady?"

Vanellope moaned "For all of this. I mean, looking back I really did fall for all that stuff at Tapper's when I shouldn't have."

"Oh, that is okay young lady…." The older Nicelander sighed "Of course, considering the situation I can understand why you were so upset."

"Can ya?"

"Yes." The man said, dusting the raspberries with powdered sugar "People were saying horrible things about Ralph. Had they said the same thing about Lucy, I too would have been in a tizzy!"

"Tony, ya get in a tizzy when ya forget ya left your shoes in the fridge!" the female Nicelander laughed "'Sides, I may be your baby sister but I can take care of myself! Need I remind ya of all tha times I've dragged ya outta trouble?"

"And need I remind YOU of all the time we've landed in trouble thanks to your actions?" the man smiled, flicking some dough on his sister.

"GAH! Anthony!"

"But still, it was stupid of me ta believe it!" said Vanellope "I should KNOW what rumors do but WHOOPS! I jump in on it anyway!"

"Kid, they said it was okay…." Ralph said as he noticed how upset Vanellope was becoming .

"Yeah, don't pop over there, Vanellope!" Lucy smiled "It's not like you're the first person to ever be roped into that guff!"

"Speaking from experience…." Said Tony.

Lucy rolled her eyes "There's always some stupid rumors goin' round that place. Hey, Tony!"

"Yes?"

"Remember back in ninety-three whens someone said that Dig-Dug was datin' Cammy an' Guile got so upset?!"

Tony shivered "UPSET is not the word I would use to describe how he reacted…."

Lucy puffed out her chest, posing like the aforementioned fighter "I am NOT gonna let one of MAAAAH top fighters go out with some chain-smokin'….WHATEVERDAHECK who pops red walkin' pimples!"

Lucy laughed again, the memory becoming clearer.

"Aaaah man! Not only did the POOKAS get miffed, Dig-Dug kicked his butt right there on the floor!"

"REALLY!?" said Vanellope, eyes wide "DIG-DUG? Tiny DIG-DUG kicked GUILE'S butt?!"

"Ya don't believe me?" Lucy pointed over to the fridge, a Polaroid of Guile screaming for his life as Dig-Dug wailed on top of him on the door "Pictures are for-EV-AAAAAAAAAAH!"

"AH! That's AWESOME!" the racer exclaimed as she looked at the picture "Oh my god, is he BITIN' him?!"

"VANELLOPE."

"Lucile, I don't think it's a good idea to expose Ms. Von Schweetz to such things…." Sighed Tony "I mean, as funny as YOU found it, what if it gets out that we've told the story again?"

Lucy turned, looking bothered "They've said plenty 'bout us over the years. If they can't take it, shame on them…"

"Lucile…."

"What? Don't deny it, Tony!"

"I'm NOT, it's just-"

Ralph looked at the siblings, feeling a bit of heat coming between them as they began to argue. He knew for the longest time that as air-headed as he was, Tony was always the one attempting to keep the peace between his sister and several of the other Nicelanders, even if the result landed the man in trouble. Lucy on the other hand was much more chatty, much more prone into taking things into her own hands if they went too hard. Ralph had known this, he just didn't know HOW far things had gone with the duo.

"It's none of our business."

"But they spread OUT business EVERYWHERE!"

"We just have to ignore it! YOU have to ignore it."

"What about all the stuff they said about YOU!? I never forgot that!"

"L-Lucile, it was just stupid banter."

Lucy began to peel more apples but Vanellope took notice that she was boring into them much harder than needed _"Banter was the thing that was being called STUPID."_

"Um, SAY!" Ralph blurted, wanting to break the tension as quickly as possible "So who makes the apple pie again?"

"I do." Lucy said proudly "Tony-Boy here makes raspberry!"

"Wow, so Felix gets all these pies?" asked the little racer "When I first heard about this, I thought…well, Mary told me you guys cheated a lil ta make different pies so…?"

"Yeah, we kinda did." the female Nicelander smiled "I think it was back durin' our first year or so. Everyone got tired of makin'….well, PIE."

"But, I thought that's what we were makin'…."

"No, no. PIE. As in, PIXELS. Nothin' more. It looked good on tha OUTSIDE but when ya took a bite…Nothin'! NADA! Just pixels an' BORIN'!"

"It was then that we all decided to take our favorite pies and make them for Felix…" Tony smiled as he watched Vanellope place her raspberries in the dough surface "Many of us were nervous at first."

"I WASN'T!"

"Yes, I am aware YOU weren't…." laughed Tony "But going against the code like that? It was unheard of. If you thought that you'd catch flack for going against the rules NOW, it was even WORSE back then."

Vanellope looked down; she knew. What Mary had told her weighed down on her greatly.

"For a while, there was a big argument between us…" Tony continued "We all wanted to do something for Felix to show our gratitude, to show how much he meant to us for helping keep people away…."

Ralph looked down; by Tony's tone he knew he wasn't talking about him, but others. Others OUTSIDE the game.

"And the thought of going against the programmed code to make our own pies? After seeing what happened when Turbo went….well, TURBO, we were scared that by overriding the program like that, WE would cause the game to crash."

Ralph could not believe what he was hearing from the Nicelander. While he had gone on his journey to obtain his medal, the thought of causing such corruption to the game only came through when Turbo had lied to him about Vanellope, how her glitching would cause the entire game to become unplugged and she would be lost inside.

But to heard that the Nicelander themselves had done some code-switching themselves?

He never thought the little people were capable of doing such actions and why?

Because they wanted to thank Felix.

"I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that such a change didn't mean anything…." Continued the male Nicelander, creating a beautiful ribbon lace for the crust "But man. The fights that broke out."

"It was half n' half!" said Lucy, swinging a knife a little too close for comfort "Half of us wanted to do it, half didn't! It was like a war was breakin' out between us! Some of us didn't even speak to each other for a while!"

"Was it that bad?" Vanellope said.

Lucy and Tony looked at each other, looks of shame coming upon their faces.

"You could say that…."

"Yeah."

It the clicked; Vanellope realized that the feud wasn't just neighbor versus neighbor.

_But it was brother versus sister as well._

"Y-you two fought didn't ya?"

Lucy said nothing, looking away. Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose, moaning.

"Yeah, yeah we did."

Ralph felt a lump form in his throat; had a split grown so great over the simple act of pleasing Felix that even brother and sister were forced apart? He knew that Tony and Lucy would always joke on each other, the sister more so than the brother, but to be so angry at each other? Did they even speak to each other during the time?

"I wanted to bake Felix a different pie…." Said Lucy.

"And I was scared." Said Tony.

"It really got to both of us…" said the sister, putting the final touches on her pie "So bad, I was askin' Gene if I could have one of the empty apartments because I didn't want to share…."

Ralph could tell just by looking at the two that this was a memory that held a lot more weight than many others. It seemed that while the two were capable of taking the brunt of insults from larger characters in the arcade, things came to a halt when the fight became PERSONAL, so close to come.

The big man knew what it felt like to disappoint a friend, to bring someone to tears through their own actions, so to hear that the two Nicelanders had gone down that path themselves.

There was still so much he wanted to know.

"W-wow…" said Vanellope, knowing too well what it felt like to fight with someone whom you considered to be your best friend "But it eventually cleared up…right?"

"Ah, of course it did!" Lucy laughed, getting back to her playful mood "We-!"

The woman stopped, looking over at the CD player. Was she waiting for something?

"WEEEE…." The woman continued, as if nothing had happened "We all finally came to an agreement. Mayor Booty Shorts said we could but for the longest time WE COULD NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT! Not even Felix!"

"But how long did that last?" asked Vanellope "I mean, it couldn't have taken that long."

"We were sitting on pins and needles for a while…." Said Tony "Felix would always compliment that the pies were tasting better and such. But one day he came to us all and had a 'talk'."

"A talk?" asked Ralph.

"He found out." Lucy said, shaking her head "I don't know HOW since we all tried to keep quiet about it but maybe someone said somethin', I don't know. All I know is that once he DID find out, he told us what we did was…..well, just shouldn't have gone behind his back to change the code."

Lucy shook, clutching her arms "It was like having your dad do one of those 'I'm not angry, just DISAPPOINTED' talks. It makes it like one hundred times worse!"

"But WHO changed the code again? I thought Felix was tha only one with tha know-how ta get inside since he's tha hero." asked Vanellope.

"Kid….Felix is the HERO, yeah." Said Lucy "He DOES know the code but who ELSE is in charge here?"

Vanellope put a hand to her mouth, suddenly realizing what Lucy had meant.

"It's funny though." Said Tony "Gene wasn't there for our talk but a little after, he came back looking so frazzled."

"He did?"

"Yeah, to this day he hasn't spoken of it but, MAN! He looked AWFUL for days."

Lucy and Vanellope exchanged looks; Tony was returning to his usual air-headed self but the two girls knew better. They EXACTLY why Gene would look so glum.

Because if FELIX were upset….

Ralph began to feel nervous again. He had expected such baking would lead to more silly things. He hadn't anticipated on so many things being revealed at once, so much so that he felt the need to move onto something else before the entire mood was dragged down any further.

"Er, so what's up with all the books?" asked Ralph "O-Or films? Or….wow, you guys have a lotta things here."

"It's our stash." Lucy smiled, putting the pies in the oven "We're kinda pack-rats when it comes to books an' all that stuff. We just wish we had more space to store 'em."

"Well, I am the owner of some old book shop." Smiled Tony "They just didn't give me the shop for everything!"

"And you?" Vanellope smiled as she looked up at Lucy "Do ya run somethin'?"

"Me?" Lucy scoffed "I am a free spirit! I have nothin' ta hold me down!"

"Actually…" the older Nicelander chuckled "She's here because our 'parents' thought she was misbehaving or something at home. Thought spending time with her more responsible-!"

"A soft-headed…" Lucy mumbled.

"OLDER brother while attending school would put her in the right place!"

"An' has it?" Lucy laughed "NOPE! An' I'm glad! Mwahahaha!"

"Can I take a look?" asked Vanellope, her eyes big and bright "There's so much here! All these books! All these records and music!"

"Sure, just make sure nothing takes a tumble on you." Smiled Tony.

"_Has it reached track 20 yet?"_

Tony looked over at his sister "What?"

"Oh, never mind! Find somethin' ya like kiddo!" smiled the younger Nicelander "I got all the latest from Skrillex!"

"Aw, no way!"

Lucy bent down near another box, going through the entire collection "Ah! This one was from Christmas Eve, twenty-oh-nine!"

"I don't even think Snowanna has that one, and she LOVES Skrillex!"

Lucy got on her toes, doing a few steps "Who doesn't! When I hear those notes, feels like I'm floatin' on air an' can more than these choppy frames!"

Vanellope began laughing as she watched Lucy 'dance', both Tony and Ralph looking over. Being as careful as he could, Ralph looked around the apartment, an embarrassed smirk showing up on his face

"Wow….I never really thought about what ya guys have in here."

"Heh, I know it all looks kind of samey from tha outside, but windows only show HALF the truth."

Ralph had to think for a moment; on all his years of the job, he never took the time to actually LOOK into the windows or at least in a manner where he could actually see the Nicelanders' lives. For the most part, he only focused on the medals and pie but never the things that went beyond that. From his point of view, he always saw scrambling Nicelanders and breaking bricks and mortar.

But as he stood inside the apartment, finally getting a chance to see the people INSIDE, he realized that he didn't know how neighbors as well as he thought he had, as well as he told the other members of Bad Anon. Only now was he learning who made what flavor of pie and only now was he learning just how close Lucy and Tony were to each other and how a simple act of kindness they wanted to show towards Felix almost broke them apart.

There were so much more to these little butter-balls than the big man thought.

He continued to look around, the smell of baking pie joining the smell of old paper, adding to the homey touch of the small space. Before he knew what was going on, he had struck up a conversation with Tony, both men going on and on about how lame movies based on video games were while Vanellope and Lucy gushed over a box of comics.

These were just TWO of the Nicelanders who had shared the game with the wrecker for so long, who were once scared of him, now sharing their home with him.

And only days ago, it could have all been lost thanks to misunderstandings and people around the arcade who still had a long ways to go when it came to respecting their fellow game mates.

"HOLY COWTAILS! CAPTAIN N?! THE ORIGINAL BOOKS?!" gasped Vanellope, nearly shooting out of the roof "THIS-?! I-?! WHERE DID YOU FIND THESE?!"

"Plenty of tradin' n' seachin'!" smiled Lucy "We have the entire set!"

The girl was near to tears in jubilation as she held the book "This is the most RIDICULOUS story I have ever heard but it's…it's so WONDERFULLY ridiculous! I could only find SCRAPS in Sugar Rush but you have the whole set?!"

"Wait, what do ya mean by SCRAPS?" Lucy said, her brows furrowing.

"I used ta have my own collection of things back when Turbo took over the game." Vanellope said, looking at the books "But when Diet Cola mountain EXPLODED, everything inside was destroyed. Including my old home…"

"Aw nah" Lucy said, an angry look on her face "NAW NAW NAW NAW! I'm not havin' this!'

"Ma'am?"

Lucy took the large box and placed it in Vanellope's hand "It's yours!"

Ralph and Vanellope felt as if they had been blown away, Lucy standing over Vanellope with a powerful look on her face.

"B-but Ms. Lucile!"

"No, I'm not about ta let some kid go without a good set of comics!" the woman said "Specially because some jack-off-!"

"LUCILE! MANNERS!"

Lucy didn't give a single care.

"Because some _**JACK-OFF**_ put ya in a cave an' then has tha NERVE ta take everythin' with him once he dies! I already had enough of this crap! It ain't happenin' again!"

Ralph looked over at Lucy; a nerve had been struck, BADLY. Vanellope on the other hand could not believe what she had been given, especially from a character whom a few days ago she declared she hated and whom could never change.

But the Nicelanders were starting to live up to their name to her. Lucy looked down at Vanellope, the smirk on her face like that of a big sister.

"Ya want any more in your collection, ya know who ta call. I love comics like this!" the woman sniffed "I know I look all stuffy and mwa-mwa-mwa in my WORK clothes but that stuff? That ain't for me!"

"An' pie bakin'?"

A bit of blush formed on Lucy's fface, the woman wringing her hands "Well…..well, I do love pies. I love makin' pies. I guess that's somethin' I can't shake."

*DING!*

The timer went off, tony going to the stove to check on the treats.

"Ah, perfection!"

The four then went to the table as the pies were laid out, Lucy getting a bottle of fresh milk from the fridge.

"Who's ready to chow down?" the woman smiled.

"I am!" said Vanellope "This looks so good an'-!"

_*Ca-CLICK!*_

A sound caught Ralph's ear "Tha heck was-?"

"_**EB EB EB! AL AL AL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOO! TOOHS WNOD EEEEEEEEM HSAMS! BEEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEIYAAAA MOOOO NAAAA!"**_

***STOMP STOPMP STOMP!***

"_LUCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE!"_

The group looked up, the ceiling fan shaking.

"Is that-?"

"No, no, no…" Lucy smiled, taking a bite of pie "We're here to ENJOY this moment. An' if I want to enjoy the moment ACCOMPANIED by Captain DON upstairs screamin', that is my joy to take in."

Tony shook his head "I don't understand why you rail on him, sis."

"It's in my backstory!"

"THAT IS NO EXCUSE."

***STOMP STOMP STOMP!***

"_LUCY! LUCY! TURN THAT CRAP DOWN, DAMN IT!"_

Vanellope gulped hard, sinking in her chair.

"Should I cover Vanellope's ears?" moaned Ralph.

"No, wait till the accent drops! It's HILARIOUS! He sounds like-"

"Lucy, this is why Don shoves you in closets…." Tony sighed, cutting a slice for Ralph and Vanellope from each pie.

"What? You want me to turn it up LOUDER? OKAY!"

"_LUCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE!"_

"Wait, wait! I THINK HE'S GONNA START SWEARIN' IN SWEDISH NOW!"

"_Now I understand why she aimed the thing at the vent…"_


	2. Blackberry

Chapter 2- Blackberry

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Ms. Deanna?"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Dee-Dee?"

It was day two of the great pie 'punishment' and Ralph and Vanellope were ready to go, but to their surprise they found that their next instructor, a certain ruby-colored Nicelander by the name of Deanna, was nowhere to be found.

"I could have sworn…" Ralph said to himself "I thought I saw her come into tha buildin' AFTER tha al clear."

"It's not we could have miss her." Said Vanellope "I know her colors by now."

"Maybe she had something else to do." sighed Calhoun "Granted, I never really got a chance ta talk to her like I wanted. Every time I try to come, she's gone!"

"Ha, so it's not just us!" Ralph laughed, pointing at Calhoun teasingly but as he looked down, Vanellope didn't look as happy "Hey, kid?"

"Ya don't think she's tryin' ta avoid us?" the girl said, feeling more upset. Maybe Deanna was the first Nicelander to really show any disdain for the racer after what had happened. Ralph sensed Vanellope's unease, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Eeh, don't worry about it. Ms. Deanna…she's…well, she's DEANNA."

"What's THAt supposed ta mean?"

"She likes her privacy, I know THAT much about her." the wrecker said "We can ask one of the guys. I'm sure they'll be able to talk to her."

"Alright, but what about tonight? Are we gonna call it a no then?"

"Arugh! Don't give out on me NOW!"

The group turned down the hall, hearing the soft tap of heels running across the floor.

"Who was that?"

"Ooh, stupid thing…"

The trio turned, seeing a tiny figure in a lavender dress kneeling on the floor, the back of her body blocked by a huge bow and dark brown afro.

"Ms. Nel?"

The small figure jumped a bit as she turned, seeing the eyes of the others looking at her. She quickly regained herself, standing up and fluffing up her hair.

"Oh, hello Ralph. Tam-Sargent Calhoun."

Nel then peered below the two, seeing a figure hiding between them.

Calhoun caught the little flub, smiling "Yes, good evenin' to YOU, Ms. Nel."

"And THAT would be?"

Vanellope flinched but she quickly glitched from behind Ralph.

"H-Hello Ms. Nel…" the racer said, waving weakly "Nice night isn't it?"

The Nicelander gave a nod "Yes, it is quite FAVORABLE, other things aside…."

Just by the little pout on her face, the group could tell that there was something bothering the woman but she was trying her best to hide it. She chortled, a hand daintily held before her lips.

"Ah, what am I doing wasting your time like this! I need to get back to my place before-!"

"Hey, where is your shoe?" Vanellope said, looking down and noticing that the woman was missing her right shoe. The Nicelander moaned, shaking her head.

"Ya caught me, eh?"

"Ms. Nel, you're not hurt are ya?" Ralph asked, Nel surprised by the wrecker's concern for her. She waved again, stopping the large man in his tracks.

"No, it's nothing I can't handle. Just didn't watch where I was goin' and ended up getting caught in another 'SURPRISE'."

"Surprise?" Vanellope asked, feeling a twinge of worry coming over her.

Maybe there were still some pranksters around. The aggravated look on the Nicelander's face sure made it seem like there were.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, kid." The Nicelander said "I've gotten used to people sprinin' up stupid stuff around me. Whether it's from the inside-!

The Nicelander stopped, something catching her attention from the corner of her eyes.

"OOOR from, AHEM! WITHIN THE HALLS OF THIS FINE APARTMENT."

Calhoun felt her ears twitch. She looked down the hall, catching a glimpse of something, or someone, dashing away. All she could see was ORANGE.

LOTS OF ORANGE.

"Lemme take a look at that…" Calhoun said as she kneeled down and looked at Nel's shoe. It was busted alright, whatever trap had caught the little woman had snapped the heel and torn a bit of the side. The marine snickered as she took the shoe in hand, standing well above Nel's reach.

"Felix can fix this right away, no problem."

"I'm trying not to worry him so much anymore." Nel puffed, well aware that Calhoun wasn't going to return her shoe any time "I mean, all these years? All our calls? I can handle a little shoe repair anyway! I fix up enough stuff as it is!"

Again, Nel saw the marine smirk but this time, Ralph and Vanellope noticed as well.

Was there something that the Cybug-killer was hiding?

"You've done so much already, ma'am! Let Felix fix it!"

"If you say so but there MUST be something I can do in return for bothering him!"

"Bothering him? Puh!" laughed Calhoun "It's that lil goof-ball's job ta fix things an' ya know how he gets when ya try ta hide things from him!"

Nel looked away, a bothered look on her face "YES. YES I DO."

"Tell ya what, how about this? In return for the shoe, why don't you help these two babies bake a pie! They could sure use tha lesson and Ms. Deanna isn't in sight!"

Nel didn't look so certain about giving the two a pie lesson. Sure, she had AGREED but now she was starting to have bit of second thoughts, Ralph seeing her hesitation as she stood before them.

This wasn't like the Nel he knew; Nel was usually so snappy around people, so hot-headed, so quick to retort. She was the SMALLEST of the SMALLEST, her actions her only means of making sure no one bothered her.

So why was she so nervous all of a sudden? Was it because of what had happened?

The woman sighed; there was no way she was going to win this fight.

"Okay, I just wish I had known ahead of time because my place? Well, it's kinda PACKED right now."

After parting with Calhoun, Nel lead Vanellope and Ralph to her apartment.

"Like I said, it's PACKED." The tiny Nicelander said, fiddling with her keys "Watch your steps!"

The door swung open, the two characters looking open a small apartment…filled with boxes of fabric, boxes of ribbons, bows, thread, boxes of-!

Various sewing things.

"Wow!" Vanellope said in awe "I don't think I've EVER seen this much clothes since I walked into Sakura's closet!"

"The closets?" called Nel from her bedroom, getting another pair of shoes "Oh, they're too full! I have to make room as much as I can!"

Ralph was astonished by the sight. Again, he was getting a full view of what the Nicelanders' lives looked like from the INSIDE rather than his view from the OUTSIDE and just like Lucy and Tony, Nel's home was revealing to him so much more. He looked off to the side, seeing a few dressed hanging on a stand, one of them being the very outfit she wore on the anniversary but there were others, so many others.

"Where did you get these things?" asked Ralph as he carefully ran his fingers through the collection "I'm sure you've made a few stores here happy!"

Nel walked out of her room, giving Ralph a look.

"Some STORE?"

That tone; that familiar tone.

The tone Nel would often use on the others to remind them that they had crossed the line with her. Nothing good ever came from it and now?

Now, Nel had given it to RALPH.

In an instant, Ralph's blood went cold and his skin paled. He KNEW he was in trouble.

But to his surprise, Nel smiled.

"HA. No, no, no. I didn't 'buy' these things."

"Were they programmed then?" asked Vanellope.

"NOPE." Nel snickered, going to the kitchen "I made them."

Ralph was floored; he looked around the apartment again seeing rows and rows of dresses and other articles of clothing lying around.

Nel had MADE them all by hand?

"I can tell you're quite SURPRISED, Ralphie-Boo." The Nicelander laughed to herself "It's not like stores carry Nicelander fitted attire anyway. After all these years, I've learned to expand my skills a bit."

"I-I can see…" the wrecker smiled bashfully "Didn't think ya could pack thirty years of dressed into a place like this."

"I TRY…." The woman said, an aggravated look on her face "I TRY."

The two could tell that something else was bothering the woman, hoping to the programmers it wasn't their presence before her, but Nel continued on as she searched her kitchen for the right amount of ingredients.

"Oh, had I known you guys were comin' I would have stocked up. I don't know if we'll have enough!"

"I think we can make due." said Ralph "Besides, this is all a learnin' experience for us."

"Well, it was gonna just be ME." Vanellope tittered "But then ol' butt-breath here tagged along."

"I can still leave at any time, ya know." grumbled the wrecker.

"Hey now, no fightin' in here!" the woman said, holding a large bottle of cream in her hands "I get enough from the guys on a daily basis! For once, I would like a bit of peace!"

Peace. That's all anyone wanted.

"C'mere, Vanellope." Nel said, waving towards the girl "I'm gonna teach ya how to make a pie the NEL way!"

Vanellope looked around the kitchen; the usual ingredients were there, some variations scattered about, but what Vanellope was more interested in was the filling. What type of surprise would she find tonight?

"What's your specialty, ?" Ralph asked as he looked around.

"Blackberry." The woman said "An old family recipe according to the story or whatever you want to call it. I guess it goes with all the other purple things in my life."

The little racer looked around; Nel's apartment WAS rather….VIOLET. It was just another color to set her apart from all the other Nicelander ladies.

"Ooh, it sounds tasty!" Vanellope said with a smile "I can't wait to make it!"

Nel smiled, feeling a bit happy herself that Vanellope would actually take the time to help her with her tasks. It wasn't as if the little woman was feeling a little skeptical herself after what had taken place but she knew better than to stay mad at the child, especially when was more than willing to take a hold of the mess and clean it up.

At least she was better than others in the past.

Ralph looked on, finding that due to the design of Nel's apartment, he couldn't fit into the kitchen area. He winced, trying his best not to bump his head.

Curse the design of the apartment, what was a nine foot man to do?

But looking down, he realized that Nel was so tiny herself that she had to use her own step-stool to reach the counter correctly.

Ralph might have been too big for Niceland but that didn't mean all the Nicelanders fit into their own home.

"Er, should I stand and watch?"

Nel looked up, sensing that the wrecker didn't want to be left out but at the same time didn't want to make any more of a mess than was already around.

"Hold on, big guy! I think-!"

Nel looked around; what could she have Ralph do?

"Ah-ha!"

The tiny Nicelander went for the cream and a jar.

"I know those arms of yours are powerful. Why don't you make some whipped butter for us! Er, SHAKEN I should say!"

"So you make your own butter for this?"

"Yup!" Nel said proudly as she poured the cream into the jar "It takes me a while to set everything up but I always want things to taste PERFECT for Felix! No fake stuffs goes into MY creations, no sir!"

First some fresh cream, then a tiny pinch of sugar. Everything was measured perfectly and sealed tight.

"_Wanna make sure it's peeeerf!"_

The woman then handed the jar over to Ralph "Just shake it up! With your hands, it should be ready in no time!"

"Ah, thank you ma'am." Ralph smiled, happy to help. He looked over at Vanellope, the girl busy away preparing the dough for the treats.

"Roll one, roll two!"

Vanellope looked at the ingredients as if she were preparing some sort of experiment, her eyes glued and her mind focused on nothing but the task ahead! She never thought she would get roped in so quickly but since she wanted to help and make everyone happy, this was a task she COULD not mess up.

Aside from that, she was from SUGAR RUSH! The LAND of sweets and treats!

If it got out that SHE of all people had messed up a pie, she would never live it down!

"I plan to make every pie PERFECTLY!" the girl said, fire in her eyes "Don't worry Ms. Nel! This will be tha BEST pie you've ever tasted!"

Hands on her hips, Nel chuckled a bit "O-kaaaay. Whatever ya say, kiddo!"

Vanellope began kneading the dough tiny fist pounding the stuff.

"HA! HO! HEY!"

"Okay, okay! I know you're excited!" Nel laughed "But you're makin' PIE, not beatin' someone into submission!"

Nel gently took the racer's hands away from the dough and began folding it neatly.

"Flip one, flip two. Like this."

Vanellope watched, taking in every movement that the Nicelander made. It was as if each of the tiny people had their own technique of getting everything just right, to make each pie their own.

"Wow….I wonder how they would go about makin' KARTS." Vanellope said to herself, her eyes still on the dough.

"How's the cream going?"

"Er, I think I have it right?" Ralph said, still a little confused to his assignment "Is it supposed to make a HISSING sound by now?"

Nel's eyes widened "GAH! I THINK YA SHOOK IT ENOUGH!"

Indeed he had.

Ralph looked down, noticing that the jar in his hand was shaking a bit, his added strength making a lot more than fresh sweet cream.

"Aw, COME O-!"

"IN HERE!" called Nel.

Ralph looked over, the Nicelander holding a large plastic food bin in her hands.

"I THINK IT'S GONNA BLOOOOOW!"

The wrecker gave a startled shout, nearly dropping the jar in his hands but he tumbled over, shaking the entire apartment as he managed to throw the cream into the bin! Nel SLAMMED the lid down and locked it, tossing it into the pantry as she grabbed ahold of Vanellope and dove onto the floor.

"TAKE COVER!"

***BOOM!***

There was a large muffled explosion from within the pantry, a few cans toppling over inside.

"Phew, that was close…" the Nicelander said as she got up and cautiously checked the situation. Thankfully, the bin was strong enough to contain the explosion from within and upon opening the box, Nel found that only the lid had popped off, the entire box filled with cream.

"Why did it EXPLODE like that?" Vanellope wondered "The only time I've seen butter explode was when Torvald used one of her Butter Bomb-Bomb Babies on the track!"

Ralph groaned, a miffed look on his face "Because _**STUPID.**_ It exploded because of _**STUPID**_."

"Hmm, not if you ask me."

The two looked over, Nel tasting the cream.

"Mmm, it might have almost SLATHERED everything but hey! It came out perfect for use!"

"It did?"

"Yeah, good job Ralph!"

Ralph felt his cheeks blushing a bit at Nel's compliment.

Wow, a Nicelander giving Ralph such kind words. What his Anon Buddies would say to that.

"OH! HEY! I-I seem to have knocked some things over!" Ralph said, trying his best to cover up his blushing cheeks "L-Lemme just clean up here an' YOU TWO can finish up the pie."

Nel knew better; she could see Ralph's turning red a mile away but she played dumb anyway.

"Ooooh-KAAAY. Dun worry 'bout US!" the woman giggled, the man feeling even worse.

"Yeah, RAAAAAAAAAAALPH!" Vanellope sang, joining in "We can take care of ourseeeeelves!"

Ralph fumbled with the books and other things he had knocked over in his haste, stacking them up and putting them back as best he could.

But one book…

"Huh?"

Ralph noticed a sketch book with some lose papers, a few of them falling out as he picked it up. While he was surprised that Nel had made so many of her own dresses over the years, he had EXPECTED to see some sketches based around the typical Nicelander frame.

But the sketches he saw were NOT for a Nicelander.

No, they were taller, slimmer, the dresses flowing down to a beautiful train.

Was Nel working on something else for SOMEONE else?

His curiosity getting the better of him, Ralph kept looking through the book, page after page filled with variations of the same figure.

Who was this person? What were they making Nel do?

"So I just add honey to the mix?" Ralph head Vanellope say.

"Yes, just a bit now. You don't want to overpower the flavor of the berries."

"Of course not!"

Ralph continued to look, but as he flipped to the next page something caught his eye. This time, there was hand writing on the pages.

_Add more room for legs._

_Shorten train._

_Choose a fabric that is breathable but still solid and strong._

_Veil must match complexion of skin tone._

This was getting complicated; Nel really had a project on her hands, whatever it was.

_Tammy approved!_

Tammy?

Who was TAMMY?

_Tammy?_

_Tamera?_

…_._

_CALHOUN?_

The man let out a silent gasp, suddenly realizing just WHO Nel was making a dress for.

CALHOUN.

She was making a dress for CALHOUN! And it wasn't just ANY dress!

It was THE dress!

THE WEDDING DRESS!

Ralph didn't know what to say. Perhaps that was the reason Nel was so hesitant at first, being that she didn't want anyone to know what she was doing but as Ralph gazed upon the work again he didn't understand WHY. WHY would Nel hide such things? From the looks of things, the dress would be STUNNING for Calhoun as she walked down the aisle but was the Nicelander ever going to say anything? Was she ever going to talk?

"An' ya just put it in for an hour!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Vanellope cheered "One Blackberry Bomb ready!"

"Bomb?" Nel said with an arched brow "Don't tell me ya think so low of my pie ALREADY."

"Pfft, no!" the girl said "We just have a pie power-up called Blackberry Bomb! Cissy uses them like a pro, ya should see her!"

"Hmm, if that's the case…" Nel smirked "Perhaps I should use these bad boys as weapons here! Sure would get a few of the guys off my back!"

"M-Ms. Nel?"

Nel peered up, Ralph looking down at her with a stunned look on her face, the book in hand. It took a few seconds for Nel to realize what was going on but as soon as the scene hit her brain, the woman gasped loudly, her cheeks turning even redder than Ralph's had.

"RALPH!"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"NO!" the woman growled, getting very upset the wrecker "Darn it Ralph, I just wanted ya ta put things UP! Not look through my STUFF!"

"I-I'm SORRY!" the wrecker meeped, the tiny Nicelander YANKING the book from his hands "I-I just happened to see the page on the dress and-!"

Now Nel was even MORE upset, the woman standing before Ralph as if he had wrecked her entire apartment. The surprise then turned to anger as she stomped towards the man.

"What?! Ya have somethin' ya wanna say about my work, TOO?!"

"No, no, no!" the wrecker said, trying to calm things down "I-I just wanted to COMPLIMENT on them!"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Miss, calm down!" Vanellope said as she glitched for the Nicelander, her hands out between her and Ralph "Ralph didn't mean any harm!"

"URGH! Why does EVERYONE have to go through my STUFF like this?!" Nel shouted "Can't people just ASK instead of harkin' on me!"

"Ms. Nel, cool down!" Ralph said, not sure whether to take her by the shoulder or not. Who knew if he would have a hand LEFT if he did so "Okay, I know I shouldn't have going through your books like that but….but-!"

The woman glared up at Ralph, tapping her foot on the ground.

He had to recover from this. He didn't want to end the day on a sour note.

"A-Ah-um…..if I can be honest? I-I don't know why ya hide 'em….."

Nel sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. At least Ralph was being sweet enough in the situation and it wasn't as if he had PURPOSELY gone through her things.

"Sorry…" the woman said "Knee-jerk reaction. It kinda happens when things like this keep poppin' up in your face."

"Oh?" Ralph asked, Nel trying to tidy up the area around him "what do ya mean?"

Nel didn't say anything, stopping in the middle of the room. She rubbed her arm, kicking herself that she had allowed herself to get caught up like this. If she were in her right mood, she would have been able to do something, SAY something!

Vanellope walked over to the woman, not sure what to do to comfort her.

"Ms. Nel?"

Nel knew she was going to have to say something, least the two leave in a glum mood. Clutching onto the book, the tiny woman in purple took a deep breath.

She had to do this.

"Lemme guys, big guy…." Nel began "Ya wanna know if this is real, RIGHT?"

The wrecker nodded, Vanellope beside him wondering just what was going on. Nel took a deep breath, the book clutched in her hands, the cover pressed against her chest.

"Yeee-AH…." She meeped, eyes darting "Felix and Tammy? Theeeey….they asked me to help with the wedding dress."

"WHAT?!" Vanellope gasped, eyes wide and bright "THAT-! THAT IS SO AWESOME!"

"I guess it is…." Nel replied, sounding LESS than enthralled.

"Can I see, can I see?" the racer squealed, wanting to take a look for herself.

"Sure, knock yourself out."

The girl took the sketch book and looked through the drawings, eyes going this way and that as she looked in wonder.

"Wooooow! These look really good, Ms. Nel! Why would ya hide 'em?"

"First off, thanks for the compliment young lady an' _**ZWEI**__-!_"

The Nicelander paused again, trying her best to hold her tongue.

"Urg, it's stupid. Don't worry about it."

"Now, Nel…" Ralph said in a slightly scolding manner "Somethin' is boterin' ya, I can tell an' as much as I DO know about ya, ya NEVER let anythin' bother ya like this! I know ya too well!"

"DO YOU?" the Nicelander huffed, a brow arched "Do ya know me so well, Ralph?"

"Maybe I don't." the man replied, his voice solid "But I would like to start making up for lost time starting NOW. What is bothering you about this?"

Dare Nel really reveal the truth? Only one other person KNEW the reason why and even HE knew the consequences that would happen to him should he allow his tongue to wag on too much.

But this was Ralph she was talking to. She had spent so many years being afraid of him and this was the first time she had actually let him get this close to her. She had seen how he acted, she had seen his true heart and dedication.

Maybe he was different. Maybe he wouldn't be like the others.

Maybe….

Maybe she could talk to him.

"Nel?"

"Alright….fine. Ya got it outa me, big guy." The Nicelander groaned "Yeah, I will admit that I nearly sailed through the ROOF when Felix told Tammy…"

"YOU get to call her Tammy and not ME?" Ralph pouted.

Nel smirked evilly at Ralph, tapping the side of her nose "Us girlies gotta stick together, ya know."

Even after everything he had done for the arcade, people were STILL messing with Ralph.

"Honestly though? I didn't want to put any worries on Felix an' Tammy, that's all."

"Worries? What do ya mean?"

"This is supposed ta be a big thing, Ralph!" Nel blurted "I wanna make sure that Tammy looks her best when she walks down the aisle an' the LAST thing she needs is a buncha people mockin' her once they find out that a NICELANDER made her dress!"

"Why would that be an issue?" asked Vanellope "Your dresses look pretty!"

"Again, thanks for the compliment. It's something I wish a few others here shared."

"In Niceland?"

"No, the arcade." The Nicelander sighed as she sat down "It's not like they have enough ammo to toss around at us. Imagine what they would whisper to Calhoun if they knew someone like ME had made her dress."

"I doubt they would say ANYTHIN', Nel." Said Ralph.

"Oh yes!" the woman nodded "Oh, YES they would! I haven't been in this arcade some thirty odd years without hearin' someone toss some comments our way about our particular brand of fashion."

Nel turned her eyes on the timer, a poor way of trying to distract herself from the conversation.

"_Oooor….from havin' someone try to lay their HANDS on me as well."_

A big man had big ears; Ralph had heard every word "What was that, ma'am?"

The Nicelander narrowed her eyes, going back to a memory she always tried to prevent from bothering her.

"I should be so lucky I've done so much sewing over the years, guys." The woman said "When people try to 'flat tire' the skirt of your dress as a joke, sewin' know-how comes in handy. So many rips, so many seams."

The woman turned on her heels, looking at the large work area in her apartment.

"But ya gotta keep buildin'. With every tear, ya gotta mend it. With every rip, ya gotta sew it! When someone made a break, I just put it back together!"

"Ouch…" Vanellope winced "I-I kinda know how that feels."

"Nah, I don't think Tammy would like to be LAUGHED at down the aisle…granted, she would probably blow their faces off if they did but still! I don't want her to go through any second-hand embarrassment because of ME! She deserves some happiness, the girl!"

"If it bothers you that much, then why did ya say yes?" asked Ralph. Nel stopped, twirling a curl in her hair.

"I said it before. She deserves some happiness in her life! And they both seemed to excited to have me work on it!"

The woman faltered, as if she had suddenly become much too bashful to continue.

"And Felix?" the woman said, biting her lip "Felix was just going out of his way to say so many nice things about me while the whole thing was going on. 'Ya should see Nel's design for THAT!' or 'Jimmany JAMMANY! I knew I picked the right person for the job!"

Felix.

He always knew what to do to make the day better.

"Can I admit that I was a lil worried when Felix brought Tammy here?" Nel sighed.

"Why? I know she can be a bit intimidatin' but what reason was there to be so worried?"

"I expected her to act like everyone else, I guess." The Nicelander continued "You spend thirty years in an arcade surrounded by people are just ITCHIN' for any excuse to use you as a bowling ball, you do tend to get a little agro sometimes."

No wonder Nel could be a little rough at times. With so many people above her, she had to act out to get them away.

"Plus, considering she got the full story of what we did to you, I was really expecting her to join in with everyone to 'teach us a lesson' and put us in our place…" the woman continued "Such an easy thing to do when the people who you're pushing around don't have a snowballs chance at fightin' back…."

"Now Nel…"

"I'm SERIOUS!" the woman said "Ya can betcha bricks that if we were like….I don't know, NORMAL-SIZED half of the people around here wouldn't say JACK to us but hey, that's the way things are!"

The woman took a breath, some of the tension easing off of her. She smiled, Vanellope and Ralph taking notice.

"But ya know somethin'? That girl really took me for a surprise….."

Nel looked around her apartment, seeing just how much of her work was spread around. She smiled , thinking back to what the repairman and marine had told her.

"She was one of the first people here who had me stuttering around like some school-kid. But then she just put a hand on my shoulder and told me she would listen. You have no idea how wonderful it is to finally someone who listens!"

"I…I think I do…" Ralph said "We BOTH do."

The Nicelander looked over at the man, eyes wide. The man was right; he DID know the joys that came with finally finding someone who would take the time to listen, to see the real you rather than what others had made you out to be.

Vanellope had been that grace for Ralph but as both wrecker and racer were learning, it seemed that Felix AND Calhoun was that grace for the Nicelanders.

Calhoun didn't have to come to Nel. She could have gone to ANY dressmaker in the arcade for her gown.

But instead, she went to a little dressmaker in purple.

She had gone to Nel. She didn't have to at all, she didn't have to after the way she had turned away from Ralph but she did.

"I guess it's silly of me to try to put on some act, isn't it?" Nel laughed to herself.

"What do you mean, ma'am?" Vanellope asked.

"Felix an' Tammy saw right through me! The more we talked, the more excited I got. I couldn't hold back a thing when we got on about what I could make, I got so carried away!"

Nel settled down, her hands held together.

"They were so nice. They were so nice to me even with the way I had treated you, Ralph."

Ralph again felt his cheeks flaring. The incidents in the past were starting to come together the more he talked to the Nicelanders, finding that their fear of him wasn't simply a matter of Ralph being 'the bad guy'.

There were reasons for it, reasons that Ralph had never thought to look into.

The Nicelanders were scared, they Nicelanders were angry and the more he looked into it, it was coming from some of the same people in the arcade who had also feared him for being a bad guy.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that bad guys were not the only people who had to slog through their daily routine day in and day out but as Gene had told him earlier, the Nicelanders never had their own support group to go to. They didn't have their circle of NPCs to remind them they had a reason to be in the game.

They had EACH OTHER but even then it still wasn't enough. It still wasn't enough to stop the fear to form, to stop them from eventually seeing Ralph in the same light as those who had pushed them around.

"Were people REALLY that bad before we got here?" asked the Vanellope "I tried asking the guys, but everything is a blur to them, King Candy did that much to their memories."

"It was a lot rougher, if I can say that…" Nel nodded "A LOT rougher. I guess I should be thankful that things are starting to clear but back in the day? Well, let's say I've had a few run ins or two….had to kick some people in the shins a few times."

"Ouch."

"Heh, with these heels? Ya know it!" the Nicelander laughed.

"Still though, tha Sarge is a cool person! There's no reason to be scared of her!" smiled Vanellope.

"She's one of the good ones." Nel retorted "At least she didn't go on an all-out attack on us because of Ralph. She's shown to be one of the few people who DOESN'T want to use us as footballs."

Nel smirked devilishly, a twinkle in her eye.

"A'COURSE, I wouldn't mind if she threw Gene about. Would be good at teachin' him not ta steal everythin' in my fridge!"

"I'M THE MAYOR, NEL!" the group heard a voice call from down the hall "I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT!"

Nel ran towards the door, throwing it open as she stuck her head out "Not when it's in my APARTMENT, DOUBLE-STUFF!"

"Oh, save it all for NORWOOD eh?!"

"GENE!"

"Saaay, is that why I saw so many things labaled 'Nory's Stuff' in your fridge?"

"SAY, would you like ice cream with your pie?" Nel smiled, "Kids LOOOOVE ice cream with pie, RIGHT?!"

"UH."

*DING!*

"An' just in time too!" Nel said as she leapt up and ran over to the oven, pulling the bubbling, golden-crusted treat out of the oven "Everyone ready?"

Vanellope was nearly drooling, the smell of the pie lifting her off the ground as she floated over "What? Food? Me? Why, YES!"

Pie and ice cream went all around as the three enjoyed the fruits of their labors and as he was enjoying what had to be his third slice, Ralph took one more glance at the dresses around him. His eyes returned to Nel, the woman laughing as Vanellope regaled her with a tale from Sugar Rush, the man smiling.

This was all ever wanted. He just wanted to feel at home and to see people enjoying himself. It was so sad that people didn't think it was possible or that the wrecker should even try to get along with his neighbors but as he sat there, he knew he was going through something he would have to be a fool to pass up.

"Say, do you make costumes too?" asked the racer. Nel cleared her throat, her eyes looking towards the wall.

"Costumes? Costuuumes? I….I have NO idea what you're implyin' there, kid!"

"I think people should know."

Nel and Vanellope turned towards Ralph, the big man sitting comfortably them, his tiny tea plate in his hands.

"Excuse me, young man?"

The big wrecker took a dainty bite of the pie, looking down at Nel "I said, they should know YOU made that dress. It's crazy if ya don't'."

"Ralph, don't get roped into this. It's my business to go through, not yours."

"Let me ask, Miss Nel. What good is it gonna do for ya if ya keep everythin' all bunched up in here?"

"I can tell ya what!" Vanellope said matter-of-factly "NOTHIN' that's what! I had ta hide most of my life an' lemme tell ya! It was tha PITS! Always worryin'!"

Yes, Nel did worry.

"Always scared someone would toss ya when ya stepped outta line!"

Yes, Nel felt that as well.

"Havin' a buncha people rushin' up ta ya, pokin' an' lookin' down on ya for some stupid reason!"

Boy, did Nel feel that way if ever.

The woman felt goosebumps form on her skin as Vanellope continued to talk. It was just so odd how the little girl shared so much with her, and she had only know Vanellope existed only a few days ago.

Maybe there was something to Ralph's words. Maybe there was something to Vanellope's. The tiny Nicelander had promised herself that after nearly losing her home she would be more adventurous in some things, she would try to be as open as she was in Niceland to the rest of the arcade. She wanted to do that, she wanted to feel much more comfortable in her own home.

And maybe the dress was just the starting point.

"How things have turned…." Nel grinned.

"What do ya mean?"

"Look at us Ralph!" the woman laughed "Days ago, I was worryin' 'bout how I would make it out there in the station after our game was unplugged. I was wondering how things would have been different if I showed off as much courage towards you as I have attempted towards so many others. There have been so many things I wish could I change from the past, Ralph. So many things I've done towards you…."

Ralph and Vanellope looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"But here we are. You're the one givin' me the talk!"

"A-an' what do ya think of me? I mean, IT?" Ralph stumbled.

"Thanks."

"W-what?"

"Thanks big guy…." Nel smiled, her cheeks rosy and warm "It really does mean a lot to me to hear things like this. It…"

The woman had to stop, hoping that she didn't appear too vulnerable before the two. She did have a reputation to keep within the apartments after all!

"It means a lot to know that somewhere, someone doesn't think I'm useless and that I can do more."

Ralph reached over and put a hand gently on Nel's shoulder "Hey. Rest assured, I do not think you're useless, Ms. Nel. NONE of your guys are useless."

Nel smiled up at the wrecker. She had never thought that a person whom she had once feared would be saying such kind things to her.

While there were some words of the arcade she wished she could block out, there were a few that rang true.

Ralph was a good guy. A VERY good guy.

"Aw, you're just sayin' this to get more pie from me!" Nel cackled, brushing Ralph's hand off of her "Boy, you got another thing comin'!"

"Gah, WHAT!?"

"Ya want pie!?" Nel smirked "Then move your big booty into that kitchen an' make it yourself!"

"Wait a second!" Ralph stammered, suddenly feeling corned by the tiny woman "I just wanted to make ya feel better! I wasn't tryin' ta get anythin' from-!"

"OFF YOUR DUFF!" Nel ordered and much to the larger man's surprise, he found himself SPRINGING off the chair, his head hitting the ceiling.

"OW!"

"Ya were my student only for a few hours! Now it's YOUR turn to make the pies!"

"But didn't ya say ya didn't have enough ingredients?!" Ralph moaned, rubbing his hair.

"Oh-ho-ho! I can just go down to the community kitchen and get a few!" the woman tittered, Vanellope mirroring her movements.

"YEAAAH, RALPHIE-BOO! We wants PIE!"

"VANELLOPE!"

"Or do I need to call the Sarge here?" grinned the Nicelander "I'm sure SHE would LOOOOVE to hear how you're misbehavin'!"

Before Ralph knew what was going on, he found himself hunched in the tiny kitchen, a frilly purple apron tied upon his huge frame as he carefully rolled out another portion of dough for his FIFTH pie that night.

"How did I get into this mess?" the man grumbled "This was supposed ta be VANELLOPE'S punishment! Not mine!"

"MISS NEEEEEEEEEEEEL!" Vanellope sang "I think someone needs to call Calhoun!"

"I think I will, DEAR!"

"Urgh! Alright, I'm makin' tha pies!" Ralph growled, pouring the berries into the crust.

"Oh! Extra honey in that one!" said Vanellope "I wanna see how it taste!"

"Don't make me bake ya into a pie, kid."

"So Ms. Nel…" the girl grinned, ignoring the wrecker "What do ya think about redoin' one of my old dresses? I find the collar MUCH too tight!"


	3. Pear

Chapter Three- Pear

"Where has Vanellope been goin' all these days?" asked Minty as she watched the racer go off towards the rainbow bridge "It hasn't even been a MONTH since she got back! Ya'd think she'd be ready ta race by now!"

"From what I heard, she got in trouble over in Fix-it-Felix or something." said Sticky.

"_**SHE**_ got into trouble at Felix's place?" the mint racer said, shock on her face "I didn't think Vanellope would do somethin' so brash so soon!"

"But she looks so happy." Said Adorabeezle "She hasn't said a word and she sure doesn't seem to mind…"

"Maybe they have her under some sorta spell!" droned Jubileena, eyes wide and fingers strumming the air "Ooooh! Somethin' was in those piiiies! They now have her under their controoool!"

"Lay off, Jub." Taffyta moaned, rolling her eyes "I can assure you that no one has Vanellope under their control. She just has things to do after all since she's the DARLING of the arcade now."

"_I caught that."_

Taffyta turned around, Minty giving her a suspicious look.

"You caught _**WHAT?**_"

"I caught that tone, Taff. Is somethin' botherin' ya?"

"Why would you think something as silly as that? I'm fine!" the girl responded.

"Nah-uh, ya always get this way when somethin' starts eatin' ya. Ya know it's okay ta talk now? There are no back-talks or fake smiles anymore. We're here for y-!"

"MINTY ZAKI." Taffyta said, her voice loud and strong "I said I. AM. FINE."

The racers all looked at each other; NO. No she was NOT fine but there was no way of getting her to crack.

"Alright….but ya know? We will listen."

"_Sure ya will…."_ Taffyta mumbled under her breath as she left the garage. Walking outside the track, she took a glance at the rainbow bridge, her curiosity starting to grow.

"_I wonder what IS going on with Nelly…."_

* * *

"Hi, Ms. Mary!" Vanellope called, seeing that she had arrived just as the other Nicelanders were cleaning up.

"Hello, dear! It's so nice to see you!"

Vanellope hugged the Nicelander tight, already smelling the sweet strawberry pie off of her "Nice to see ya too! An' boy am I ready for my next lesson!"

"Oh, an' who is it tonight?" asked Ralph, brushing some stray bricks away.

"I believe its Ms. Meg!" Vanellope beamed "She's the one we helped back in the station right?"

"Meg?" Mary blinked, a hand going to her lips _"Oh, dear…."_

"Is somethin' wrong, Ms. Mary?" Calhoun asked, looking concerned. Mary shook her head, biting her lip.

"I tried talking to Meggy about it this morning but she seemed all a-fit about it!"

"What do you mean?"

Mary sighed, rubbing her hands together "You guys have to understand. Meg….she's…..well."

"She not upset is she?" Vanellope asked, a little nervous herself now that she heard the tone of Mary's voice.

"She's just been really figgty all week about this. I was surprised that we got her to agree to the entire thing but this morning? I think…."

All eyes went to Mary, disappointment coming upon her face.

"I don't think she WANTS to bake now."

Vanellope glitched, her eyes wide and sad "WHAT!?"

Calhoun ran a hand through her hair _"Oh boy…"_

"Too shy?" asked Ralph.

"I think it's more than that…." Said Mary as she lead the others upstairs "It took us such a long time to get Meg to break out of her shell YEARS ago and with everything that has been happening? I think it might be pushing her back inside!"

The more Vanellope heard, the more upset she was starting to feel. She had remembered the way the larger characters had ganged up on Meg that terrible night, she had remembered how nervous and scared she looked but she never thought that the encounter would affect her so greatly. She knew what it felt like to be bullied but even with an entire game after her, the girl ALWAYS found a way to keep going on. She never let the brain-washed racers or the evil king get her down.

Meg however? Meg was shaken from the way Mary had put it. So shaken she didn't want to see ANYONE, even those who meant no harm to her!

"We hafta see her!" the girl gasped, running into the apartment.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, kid!" said Calhoun but the marine missed the girl by an inch.

"No! I want Ms. Meg ta know we're here ta have FUN! Not ta mess with her!"

Calhoun sighed, shrugging her shoulders "No point but to follow now. Ya guys ready ta go?"

The adults nodded in agreement, following the racer up the stairs. Once the arrived at Meg's apartment, Mary stepped up front first, knocking on the door.

"Megan?"

There was no answer but the group could hear some footsteps inside.

Someone was home.

Mary knocked again, louder this time "Meg, are you in there?"

"_Please don't come in! I-I have things to take care of!"_

"Sweetie, there is no reason to hide! You know that!"

"_I-I'm not hiding!"_ the voice came out, sounding shaky.

"Hey, Ms. Meg…." Called Calhoun "You have some visitors. Ya wouldn't want ta disappoint them would ya?"

"_I'M SORRY! I JUST CAN'T!"_

"What's going on here?"

The four turned, Gene standing at the end of the hall "Is it Meg again?"

"Dear, now before you do anything. Please understand the circumstances! Meg's just-!" Mary blurted, blocking the door with her body but Gene gently pushed her aside.

"Megan?"

Silence filled the halls again.

"Megan, you know better than to act so rudely with guest!"

Mary looked stunned, slugging Gene in his sides "_Gene!"_

Gene held up a hand towards the woman in pink, shaking his head; obviously he knew how to take care of the situation.

"_I don't want to be rude, Mayor! You know that! I just can't show my face now!"_

"And why not?" asked the man, leaning on the door "There's no one here but Ralph and Vanellope."

"_I-I know but-!_

"Yes?"

There was a faint sobbing sound from the other side of the door, all but the Nicelanders looking aghast at what they were hearing.

Was Meg really that upset?

Gene's brows furrowed as he knocked again "Megan, we talked about this. I promised myself that I would NOT let you hide away like this. _**YOU**_ made a promise to yourself!"

"_I-I just can't, Gene!"_

"Yes, you can!"

"_NO, I CAN'T!"_

"Megan!" the mayor said in a scolding tone "I understand your concern for all of this but is _**THIS**_ what you really want to do?!"

From inside her apartment, Meg hide beside the couch, tears rolling down her cheeks, eyes sad and scared.

"N-no…."

"_Then please open up…."_ Gene continued _"Vanellope wants-!"_

"_An' RALPH."_ Vanellope cut in. Meg could hear the mayor sighing from the other side of the door.

"_AND RALPH want to come in a visit you. Isn't that nice?"_

Meg peeked from her hiding spot, slowly making her way over towards the door.

"Are you sure…." The woman whimpered "Are you sure I won't waste their time?"

"_Waste our time?!"_ Vanellope said _"Ma'am! I've been WAITIN' ta bake a pie with ya all week!"_

"_R-Really?"_ the woman said shyly.

"_Yeah! I've been seein' how AWESOME ya guys are at pie makin'! I wanna see what ya can do too!"_

To hear such sincerity from someone outside the game made Meg feel slightly better but not by much. Nonetheless, she turned the knob of the door…..

"Meg?"

And finally, she let the others in.

"S-Sorry for behaving in such a manner….."

A few apologies were exchanged before the two characters walked into Meg's home. Like before, Ralph felt as if he had stepped into another world as he ducked into the woman's living space. It wasn't as crowded as Nel or the apartments shared by Tony and Lucy but it was just as busy.

"Wow. I wonder what Meg does again…." The men thought to himself, trying to gather up as many clues as he could.

He saw dried flowers, fresh fruit, sugar and spices. Many cups, several small cloth bags, fancy little labels and various pens and inks.

_Flower arranger?_

_Stationary designer?_

_It was something fancy and frilly sounding._

He then saw the collection of kettles on the wall, his mind snapping to.

"Ah! Right, tea maker!" Ralph corrected himself mentally. He always remembered seeing such strangely colored tuffs of steam emanating from the woman's window when the weather inside the game was warm. The scents were always so sweet and floral and when he heard the others talking about it, he wondered what her brew could possibly taste like.

Maybe now he would get the chance.

"_U-Uh, y-you can make yourselves at home…"_

If Meg could manage to bring herself to talking, that was. She was shaking like a leaf before the two, her voice barely raising above a whimper.

"Sqnueak-sqnueak!" went something out of sight.

"WHOA!" Vanellope said, looking off to a cage near the window "What is _**THAT?**_"

Meg squeaked, running after Vanellope "W-Wait, be careful!"

"I-It's some kinda ANIMAL!" the girl gasped, looking into the cage to see a furry little tuff of grey residing inside. She poked her fingers on the grate, the furball sniffing at her fingers "_Chu, chu, chu!_ What are you?"

"_I-It's Earl Grey…"_

"Ma?"

"Earl Grey…." The Nicelander whimpered, biting the sleeves of her sweater "My pet chinchilla…."

Vanellope's eyes had never sparkled so brightly as when she was given this glorious news.

"Chin. Chill. A?"

The Nicelander was feeling even more nervous as Vanellope looked at her. What was she supposed to do? Earl Grey was her beloved pet! Could she trust Vanellope with him? So many things had been said towards her pet.

"H-He's a little mountain rodent?"

"He's so CUUUUUUUUUTE!" Vanellope squealed in delight, poking the cage over and over. The ball of fur edged up towards the racer, its nose and whiskers twitching.

"There are mountains in Niceland?"

"No! No, I meant-!" Meg said, feeling horribly cornered "He COMES from the mountains or something! He was just programed here with me when we were plugged in! I can't relay the whole story!"

"Can we take him out?" Vanellope asked innocently "I bet he would love to-!"

"Not now!" Meg cried, grabbing the cage and taking it into her room "W-We need to make our pies before it gets too late! I wouldn't want you staying up past your bed time!"

"Oh, it'll be fine." Vanellope smiled "Besides, I wouldn't want to miss a moment he-!"

Meg stepped before the girl, Ralph looking on in confusion "I-I just don't want to disappoint you two. I-it is my job to make pie s-so-!"

Meg's skin felt clammy, her mouth drying. Vanellope and Ralph's looks felt as if they were going right to the very core of her code.

"_L-Let's just get started…"_ the woman sighed, going over to the kitchen and bringing out a basket of fresh pears.

"So you make PEAR pie?" asked Vanellope.

"Y-Yes…" the woman said in a soft tone, washing the fruit before patting them dry.

"So who taught ya? Your mama, your papa?"

"_U-Um no, they died when I was a baby…"_

Vanellope gulped; wrong choice of words.

"A-ah, I-I think my backstory stated that I my aunt raised me…and I learned this recipe from her."

"I don't remember that much from my backstory." Vanellope said as she leaned on the counter, watching the woman cut the fruit "I just remember….DOOFY."

Ralph looked up _**"DOOFY?"**_

"Yes, DOOFY." The girl said haughtily "Just..silly thiings. Not a lot but everyone was silly."

Man, there were things still yet to be uncovered, no thanks to Turbo.

"Well, don't get too silly with Meg." The wrecker snorted "She's bein' nice enough lettin' us bake in her kitchen. Remember ta do what she says."

"You don't have to talk to her in such a manner, Ralph." Meg said, looking upset "We're just baking pies, I don't want anyone to be upset."

"I'm just playin' with her, Meg!" Ralph smiled "No frets."

Ralph looked over at the woman, noticing that she had lowered her head.

Apparently she was still upset.

The wrecker cleared his throat as he carefully inched forward "Er, ya want me to help with anything yet?"

Meg was starting to back away in caution towards Ralph, her head shaking "N-No! I-I have it!"

Even from her spot, Vanellope could see that Meg was NOT comfortable with the situation, whether it was from her being there, from Ralph, or perhaps BOTH of them. The young racer was now starting to regret coming to Meg in such a state.

"Ms.?" Asked Vanellope "M-Maybe we can-!"

"I-I have it!" the Nicelander said, trying her best to slice the pears "J-Just let me-!"

"Ms. Meg, we can leave if ya want us to."

"No, I have to-!"

"But you're not lookin' too good!"

"I-I can do this!"

"MA'AM!"

"_**OW!"**_

Meg let out a high-pitched squeak as she tumbled back, the knife clattering on the floor.

"MS. MEG!"

The Nicelander leaned on the wall, holding her fingers tight. Vanellope glitched towards her but the woman winced at the sight.

"Are ya okay?! What happened?!"

Meg was still shaking but Vanellope could get a clear shot of what was causing the woman so much pain.

She had cut herself, deep. A small line of pixelated blood trailed from the wound, Vanellope paling.

"I-! I-!"

"_S-Sorry…."_ Meg meeped, eyes glossing over _"I-I'm always so clumsy…."_

"_I-I need to sit…"_ Vanellope moaned, putting a hand to her head and glitching "_Th-that's not raspberry syrup!"_

"Vanellope?" Ralph gasped, noticing that the girl was weak on her feet "Whoa, I gotcha!"

Ralph put the racer on the couch, her head still dizzy as she tried to regain herself. The wrecker then went over to the Nicelander, extending a hand.

"Here, let me help ya up an' then we can get F-"

"Felix doesn't need to know!" Meg shouted, trying her best to back away from Ralph in fear "I-I-I mean, I would just be a bother to him!"

Ralph felt a terrible feeling as Meg tried to dart away from him, remembering all the times that everyone else in the arcade had feared him.

Apparently, some people still did.

"Meg, please. Let me help ya." Ralph said, nearly begging at this point "You're hurt an' I wanna make sure you're okay!"

Meg went over to the bathroom, putting her finger under the tap "I-I can take care of myself, Ralph! I-I'm not USELESS! I can-!"

Meg watched as the trail of red washed away in the water, the sting gradually going away.

Who was she kidding? She was in no condition to do ANYTHING at the moment.

Without warning, Meg began sobbing in the bathroom, Vanellope and Ralph looking on.

"_W-what do we do?!"_ asked Vanellope, hoping that Ralph would know a solution. The wrecker was just as lost and as confounded as his friend but he knew he had to do something. Leaving Meg alone when it was obvious she needed someone would be another notch of regret on the man's conscious.

But what could he do to help a crying Nicelander?

"M-Ms. Meg?"

Meg turned and looked at Ralph, shrinking down as he overpowered her.

"A-are you okay?"

Meg said nothing, nodding as she looked down at her feet.

"A-Ah, we can still hold up that offer. We can go if ya don't want us he-!"

"Ralph, don't leave!" Meg cried out, stepping out of the washroom "I-I'm sorry I've been so JITTERY! I-It's just-! I don't know what to SAY! I don't know what to DO!"

"About what?" asked Vanellope.

"EVERYTHING!" the woman cried out, getting even more upset "Am I doing this wrong?! Should you even be talking to me?!"

"What?!"

"Why do I always have to mess things up?!" Meg called out "I know you guys just wanted to make a pie but I can't even do that right! I can't do ANYTHING right because I'm a _**NICELANDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

Before either racer or wrecker knew what was going on, Meg erupted into tears.

"Ah, GEEZE!" gasped Ralph, rushing to think of what to do with the tiny woman "Uh? Don't cry?! It's gonna be okay?! I-!"

Oh, what a display this would be if EVERYONE in the apartments were to catch wind of this!

"Ma'am, don't be so upset!" said Vanellope "What happened was just a mistake! Everyone makes mistakes!"

It was if Meg hadn't listened, the tiny woman now on the floor as she continued to bawl before wrecker and racer. What were they to do in such a situation?

Vanellope thought! She pondered!

"Ms. Meg!" she called out, hoping her voice would be louder than the cries "DON'T BE UPSET!"

Things moved faster than Ralph could see and before he knew what was happening….

"_AH?!"_

Meg went silent.

He looked down, seeing that Vanellope was now embracing the woman tight, Meg looking shaken as the girl wrapped her in her arms.

"D-Don't cry! Th-there's nothin' ta be upset about! I'm not angry at ya! I don't wanna be angry at anyone!"

Meg sniffled twice, hands reaching up for the racer's back.

"_You're not mad at me?"_

Vanellope shook her head "I never wanted to be mad at you! Everythin' was all a mistake! So please don't be scared of us! We're not gonna do anythin' to ya!"

The small woman craned her neck up, looking at Ralph.

Did the wrecker think the same? Were both characters being truthful to her?

Vanellope hugged Meg tighter "I never wanted things to go this far. I never wanted ya guys ta be so scared, I didn't know! I'm so sorry!"

Moment later, things had cleared up, Meg having fixed the two a steaming cup of her homemade tea. Her eyes were a bit puffy, her chubby cheeks blushed bright.

"I-I'm sorry…." She moaned in shame "A grown woman like me crying in such a manner. It is so unbecoming…."

Vanellope took the cup into her hands "We all cry when things bother us like that. I just wish I could have done somethin' before things got outta hand like that."

"You shouldn't have to worry about this young lady. You should be having FUN. Not getting yourself mixed up into issues we caused…."

"No, this IS my business!" the racer said powerfully "I already know what it feels like to be pushed around so-! So, I wanna make sure no one else does, no matter who ya are!"

The girl looked away, a lump forming in her throat.

"'Sides, none of this mess would have even happened had it not been for me. I got angry at the wrong people an' now you've been worryin' yourself sick over it! The least I can do is help clean up…an' make pies, of course!"

"Pies?" Meg looked down, her eyes going to her wrapped fingers "I'm sure THIS session is ruined…"

"How so?"

"I killed the mood. Turning what was supposed to be such a wonderful night into such sadness. I should have gotten a hold of myself."

Meg felt a wave of guilt hitting her again, her tiny body shaking. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Ralph nor Vanellope, their presence before her making her feel even smaller than normal.

But she had to say it. She couldn't hold it in any longer.

"RALPH, I'M SORRY!"

Ralph nearly fell out of his chair, the yell was so loud "E-excuse me?"

"I'm sorry!" Meg whimpered "I-I'm sorry I'm so scared of you, of everything! I'm just a coward!"

Ralph had known that Meg was shy but he never realized just how far her shyness and worries went. Throughout the entire night, Meg had blamed herself the list of events that had happened, even to the point where both he and Vanellope knew she was blaming herself for NOTHING.

The big man reached a hand out, carefully touching Meg on the top of her head "Ma'am, you're not a coward."

"YES I AM!" the woman blurted out, Ralph jolting back "I can't do anything against everyone in this place! You saw how those guys rough handled me back there! W-why do you think I want to stay here?! It's because I feel safer!"

The woman faltered, looking away to the side.

"O-Or at least I _**USED**_ to. With so many people coming in here to remind us how all of this is our fault, I don't know how to feel anymore."

Meg looked down at her tea, having not the stomach to even drink it.

"Ralph, I know I'm scared. I get scared a lot. But….but I never wanted to be scared of you."

Ralph blinked, a flash of warmth coming over him.

"It was just…it was just after what a lot of bad guys did to us when we first came here, what Turbo did to us. I began to believe them."

"Believe what?" asked Vanellope, her eyes wide. Meg shook again, her hands gripping together.

"That it was our role to be scared…" the woman began "We're Nicelanders, remember young lady? Our role is to be SAVED. To be saved from Ralph. Do you think that it's something to carry around like a badge of honor? That it's something we should be PROUD of and tell others about? NO!"

The girl said nothing, shaking her head.

"At least when you're a bad guy, you do Something! Anything! I-I would rather be a bad girl than…_than helpless and shy_."

Silence filled the apartment, Ralph holding his breath.

"_I-I hate being like this…"_ Meg said in shame "_I hate being a Nicelander…"_

It is always a strange thing, to hear someone else declare they hate their role in their own game. Ralph had said it to himself, he had heard it from the other bad guys. He never thought he would hear it from a Nicelander.

"Being a bad guy is something to be prided over now. You can walk around and be proud of your job because you're more than that. But an NPC? Back then and now? What is there to be PROUD of? People have ALWAYS thought less of us. The weaklings, the pathetic ones. THINGS, not people."

Vanellope took a step back, a sense of discomfort coming over her as Meg described to her the 'role' she had accepted for so long.

Not too long ago, Vanellope was just a GLITCH. But then and even now, Meg was still just a THING?

**A THING.**

"I g-guess I could have been like some of the others…." The woman continued "I could have taken it less seriously but…I just couldn't. I can't turn this off! I can't turn off how I really felt and people knew that! They kept coming at us! They kept chasing us! They kept scaring us! They kept-! They kept…..they kept scaring me…."

Exploiting fear for pleasure? Vanellope knew all about that.

But there was something about knowing a NICELANDER shared it with her that made her hands shake. All this time, she thought the Nicelanders didn't know ANYTHING about what it felt like to be looked down on, to be pushed around.

It seemed like PIE wasn't the only thing wrecker and racer were getting a nice spoonful of.

"Is that why ya were so hesitant before, Meg?" asked Ralph "'Bout lettin' us in, of course…."

Meg nodded "Y-Yes. I was still worried that you two didn't really want to bake with me or that you were still angry with me. Especially YOU, Vanellope."

Vanellope blushed "I-I told ya, I wasn't angry at ya!"

"You had every right to be…"

"No, I didn't!" Vanellope yelled "I didn't because it all turned out to be LIES! I got angry because of a stupid rumor! Ya could have said somethin'! Or spoken up! Or-! Or…"

Meg shook her head "They still wouldn't have listened to me. I-I mean, you two have everyone's ears now. They'll listen to what you say. They'll consider it…."

Meg had to stop again, sadness welling up once more. She trembled, her fingers going deep into the fabric of her sweater.

"Don't feel bad that you feel for lies, child. It's not like you're the only person to have done so." The woman said, her arms wrapped around herself "I believed that bad guys could only be that; BAD. That they wanted to hurt us, that they wanted to do horrible things to us. And back then? There were a lot who _**DID.**_"

Seemed like Bowser was right again, the wrecker thought back to the words his Bad Anon buddy had given him.

"I was just scared, okay Ralph? I hate being hurt, and I hate being told that I can't do anything…."

Meg looked down at her hand, the bandages on them making her think back to many of the words she had heard throughout the years.

"That's why I always tried so hard to be good for Felix. I didn't want to seem like burden to him anymore than we're programed to be…" She began "He always was so happy and friendly to me when I gave him pie and tea, he actually wanted to talk to me and even if he did have to save us…he never saw us as anything less than that. I know it's stupid of me to allow myself to let others guide what I should do, but he…he really did convince me to keep making teas. He enjoyed them so how bad could they be?"

Ralph's skin began to prickle over.

Everyone had one person, just one person that lit up their day and the more he was learning from the Nicelanders, the more he saw WHY Felix was their hero.

It was less about medals, it was less about roles.

He REALLY was there for them. He had ALWAYS been there for them.

"Ya didn't think anyone would like your tea?!"

Ralph looked over, Vanellope looking at Meg in disbelief.

"It tastes just fine ta me! What did ya think people would do if they drank it?"

Meg shook her head "I-I don't know. Say it was bland like our pie or something."

"Not EVERYONE in the arcade hates your pie though, an' not everyone hates your tea as I have heard…."

"I bet they're just trying to be nice…." Meg said.

"You're even shier than Beezie, WOW!" the racer said as she ran over to the woman "Ms. Meg, I know there are a lotta jerky people in this arcade but lemme tell ya this now!"

"What?"

"If I see ANY of 'em messin' with ya like they did in tha station, they're gonna hafta deal with President Tough Fist!" the girl growled, puffing her chest out and flexing her skinny arms.

"Ya mean President Noodle Arms?" Ralph chuckled.

"Ya think you're so much better cuz you're bigger than everyone, butt-head!"

"Yeah, an' what of it?"

A bit of a smile broke on the Niceander's face, tiny hints of laughter coming from her as she watched the two joke before her. Vanellope glanced over, happy to see her smile but the racer knew it still wasn't enough. Meg wasn't there yet, she wasn't out of her gloom just yet.

"Ah, there's that Nicelander smile I know ya guys are known for!" Vanellope chirped "Ya should do it more! Ya look so cute!"

More blush formed on the woman's face; CUTE?

"I know it was foolish of me to listen to all those people after all these years…." Meg continued "I just didn't know what to do. I've tried being welcoming to so many but when I get in front of people like that, I just feel…I just feel like they're gonna smash me. Like a mushy, undercooked pie."

"Meg? I never would have treated ya like that…." Ralph said, a truthful tone in his voice "I don't know WHAT those guys did back in their own games to their NPCs but? But I never would have treated ya so badly. An' I never will…."

Shame washed upon Meg's face, the woman seeing Ralph for who he really was. He really was a kind and gentle soul but her mind had already been made up by those who had gotten to her first.

Who knew what could have been had things turned out differently.

"I wish I could have known back then." Meg said "Our lives would have been so much better had it been that way."

Before Meg could say another word, she felt Ralph's gentle hand come under her chin, lifting up her head.

"Meg, it's okay."

The Nicelander was wide eyed in awe, Ralph feeling her quake in his hold. He knew what she was thinking; he was being so kind to her after she had ran away from him so many times, so many years. The wrecker had known that Meg was always the first to dart away from him but he had no idea her fears went so far, that her animosity towards him was something she felt towards all bad guys in the arcade and not because she hated them.

She really was scared.

She was TERRIFIED.

Ralph began to think about it; he began to think about Meg and what she must have thought every time a character had told her she was useless or went out of their way to needlessly upset her. After so many years, she had begun to believe it, to believe what they had said about her and the others.

That she was useless, that everything was her fault, that she did nothing to help the game.

She had believed it.

And she believed that Ralph thought the same thing.

The man wished there had been a way he could have stopped it all. He cursed to himself as he thought back to the past, thought back to the many times he would have gladly stepped in to help but he had his own issues to deal with, his own worries and his own qualms.

He just didn't realize that behind him, the Nicelanders were dealing with their own.

Vanellope smiled as she reached up and threw herself onto Meg again, the woman meeping in shock.

"Those guys dun know what they're talkin' about!" the racer laughed "Ya know what ya should have done?"

Meg shook her head "I don't know. What?"

"What ya should had done was give 'em a tast of their own medicine!" winked the racer.

"W-what do you mean?"

"When someone makes fun of your pie, ya give it to 'em! Toss a few right in their faces!"

Ralph leaned over _"Ignore her. PLEASE."_

Meg blanched, eight-bit bubbled popping over her head "W-W-What?! I could never do such a thing! That would be so rude!"

"I saw your throwin' arm out there back in that pie fight!" Vanellope smirked "Ya got quite an arm on ya! One well tossed pie an' their mouths would have been too full ta say anythin'!"

"I don't think I could work up the courage….the last time we took part in something that involved throwing, it didn't end well."

"Huh?" Vanellope asked "What do you mean?"

There was a void in Meg's eyes as she looked down, her brain going back so many years.

"_Nineteen ninety-five….fourth of July…._" The woman droned "_I shall never try tossing a volley ball at someone's head again…."_

Vanellope laughed tartly "Lemme guess. Ol' Mayor Genie-Butt got a face-full, didn't he?"

The racer stopped, the temperature feeling as if it had dropped a few degrees….or a few dozen.

"_NO."_ Meg replied, irises shrinking down _"DONALD. I HIT __**DONALD.**__"_

"Uh."

"Hey!" Ralph piped up, helping Meg back onto her feet "Er, we still have PLENTY of time! Why don't we make that pie?"

"Pie?" Meg blinked, getting to her feet "Why yes, of course!"

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Meg to regain herself and the pie making continued. As Ralph and Vanellope quickly learned, when it came to creating the very thing she loved, the woman was no slouch. Feeling less restricted, Meg took charge of the entire night, the two hapless bakers finding she was not unlike Calhoun towards the two when it came to pies.

"No, you have to slice them VERTICALLY!" the woman ordered, tapping Ralph's fingers with a spoon "You do it like that, it'll cause for uneven baking!"

"Okay, okay!" the wrecker gasped, nearly smashing the pear in his hands "Anything' ya say, Ms. Meg!"

"Ms. Von Schweetz!"

"GAH!" Vanellope jolted, glitching a bit.

Meg rushed over to the girl, taking the dough strips out of her hands.

"You put too much flour on them!" Meg growled, tossing the dough into the bin before taking Vanellope's hands and PLOWING them into a fresh mixture "The excess flour will seep into the fruit glaze! Make some more!"

Tears of shame began flowing down the racer's cheeks; pie making with Meg was a lot tougher than she thought.

"B-But…..I'm the President of sweets. How can I not get this right?!"

"Hey, this is NICELANDER pie we're makin'…." Ralph grimaced "We're on THEIR turf, buddy."

"RALPH! You have to make sure there is a perfect balance!" Meg called, Ralph's skin crawling "Not a single skin should be left on those fruits!"

It was almost as of the two were playing Break Out in the kitchen, one girl and one man bouncing from one edge of the kitchen to the other as they tried desperately to ensure that the pies were done perfectly.

And in the middle of it all stood a tiny, plump woman, a finger in the air.

"Is the oven at the correct temperature? It better be when I check!"

The pies were finally baking…

"AAAAAH. I'm EXHAUSTED!"

And Ralph and Vanellope were on the floor.

"T-they do this day in an' day OUT?!" Ralph panted "H-how-?!"

"I think you did a good job."

The two looked up, Meg smiling as she held a tray of her homemade tea for the two.

"Have you tried peach and passion fruit? It will bring your energy right back!"

"So pies AN' tea?" Vanellope smiled as she took her cup "Ms. Mary told me ya share your brew with a few people. Think ya wanna hand out some mix ta my game?"

Meg blushed brightly as she looked down, the tray shaking in her hands.

"Y-Y-You want ME to provide you with tea?"

Even King Candy hadn't reached out to the tea-maker. He had NEVER reached out to the Nicelanders at all for that matter, other when it was for a snotty and silly remark.

"Ms. Meg?" Vanellope blinked "A-are ya gonna me alright?"

The woman looked at the two, a feeling of warmth and bliss coming over her.

It was so shocking that only a few days ago, Meg had feared the two of them. She had feared that they would both come after her and her neighbors like so many had done before them. She was afraid that Ralph would never forgive her for those fears, that he would hold it against her for as long as they were plugged in.

She was afraid that Vanellope would echo those emotions.

She was always afraid.

Always scared.

_Right?_

Maybe not this time.

The smile on Meg's face grew larger, Ralph seeing the brightness come on her face.

Suddenly, all the pie making was proving to be worth it.

"I would love to!" Meg nodded, a glow about her "I would LOVE to, young lady!"


	4. Pumpkin

Chapter Four- Pumpkin

"He's not moving…." Sticky moaned as she poked the frog.

It had been a terrible week for the little racer. First she came in last place during the races, her head band snapped in two and now her pet frog had come under the weather?

Come under the weather? The polliwog had been sick for DAYS but it seemed no matter how many vets Sticky went to, the creature was not getting any better.

"I don't know what else I can do…." Sticky said sadly as she shoved the frog's pool into Minty's face. The green-mint sister scrunched her nose but forced a smile, lowering the pool down gently.

"It's okay Stix. We'll…we'll find someone to take him to."

The middle Mint sister whimpered, the candied frog still bunched within his plastic castle.

"I don't know if he's going to last much longer, Minty. He looks really ill!"

"Don't fret!" said Torvald "Maybe there s someone in tha arcade who can help! There's ALWAYS someone!"

* * *

"ONWARD TO NICELAND!" said Vanellope, marching with pride alongside Ralph. It was funny how days ago she was dreading going back to the apartments day in and day out but after getting to know some of the Nicelanders, Vanellope was enjoying her visits, Ralph sharing the sentiment as well.

The big man never knew that much about the little people, what with them refusing to be near him in the past but with simple pie-baking, he was starting to open up to them in a way he never imagined.

He actually LIKED his neighbors, he actually LIKED spending time with them.

"_Who would have thought…."_

"So who is next on tha hit-list?" asked Vanellope. Ralph poked his lips, rolling his eyes.

"Aaaaaiiii believe we have to visit a certain Mr. Norwood today."

"That's the one with freckles right?"

"Yeah, that's him!" laughed Ralph "Or as I like to call 'im, 'Why is that guy messing with Gene'?"

Vanellope snickered, "Hey, he MUST be one of the good ones then!"

"We'll just have ta wait…" Ralph warned "After all, we all know what caused this in tha first place, remem-bah?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ya don't have ta rub it in, Big Guy." Vanellope pouted, putting her hands in her pockets "This is a learnin' experience for BOTH of us, only because ya decided to shove your big booty into tha plans!"

"Hey, I get free pie outta it." Smiled the wrecker "Might as well join in!"

One trolley ride later, the two found themselves at Niceland which as usual was bustling with people cleaning up and making sure everything was in place for the next game.

"It's so weird ta see 'em clean up like this…" said Vanellope.

"How so?"

"Guess I still thought that you an' Felix did all the workin'….but I guess I know that's FAR from true."

"_**NORWOOD, PICK UP THE SLACK!"**_

That high-pitch scream could have only belonged to ONE Nicelander.

Gene.

"OH-HO-HO-HO! What was that?" laughed a voice. From her position, Vanellope could have sworn it was from another character, their voice sounding MUCH too deep to be a Nicelander.

"Norwood, for the love of CRIPES, I'm gonna-!"

"Norwood?"

Wrecker and racer rounded the corner, seeing the much 'beloved' Mayor squabbling with a male Nicelander, his bright red hair and snarky smile instantly noticeable.

"THAT…." Said Ralph, pointing over to the red-head "Is NORWOOD."

"THAT'S NORWOOD?!" gasped Vanellope, looking a tad disturbed "He doesn't' sound ANYTHIN' like a Nicelander!"

Ralph ducked behind Vanellope _"Yeah, creepy ain't it? Wait til ya hear him SCREAM."_

"No, no, no. NO NO NO!" said Gene "I am not playing this game with you tonight, Norwood!"

"Awww, but Genie!" the Nicelander smiled, making his huge green eyes as bright as possible.

"Oh, _**GOD."**_

"Didn't cha say ya wanted ta have more fun!"

"_FFFF_-**UN.**" Gene hissed, taking Norwood by the collar of his sweater "_FFFFF_-**UN** is a day when I don't have to deal with you harassing me! _FFFFF_-**UN** is a day when I can go by without being told I have to get your freckled butt out of trouble! _FFFFF_-**UN** is-!"

"PIE!?"

The two men turned around, Vanellope grinning from ear to ear.

"Excuse me?"

"Fun is PIE, Mayor Gene!" the girl quipped, a finger in the air "An' I do believe it is, er, Mr. Norwood's turn to show us how to make one today."

"Why, is this tha Vanellope Von Schweetz I keep hearin' about?" Norwood chuckled, shoving Gene into a nearby bush.

"_**NYAAGH!"**_

"My, quiet the darlin' if I have ever seen one!" the red-head said in a gentlemanly manner.

Vanellope tittered, flicking her wrist "Oh, sir! You are just too KIND!"

"Why YEEEEES!" the Nicelander chuckled to himself "AS a Nicelander, it is my duty, MY RESPONSIBILITY, to ensure that all who come here are giving the greatest of welcomes and treatment!"

The man ran a hand through his hair, eyes twinkling as if to accent his 'charm', ignoring Gene climbing out of the bush behind him.

"Granted however, I am ALWAYS the most poised and mature Nicelander around!"

"**BULLSHIT."**

"Gene, there's a child here." Don yelled some distance away.

"Tha night is young, tha stars are goin' through that weird multi-color cycle I still don't get…." The red-head said with a sigh "We should not waste our time!"

"Norwood, hold up." Gene said, taking a hold of the man's shoulder rather hard "I want you to be on your BEHAVIOR with that kid, got it?"

Norwood arched a brow "Why-hy-hy-hy GENIE! Why would ya even THINK I would do somethin' ta embarrass ya?"

"I could hand you one of the many BOOKS of things you've done over the years to embarrass ALL of us." Gene frowned, crossing his arms "I just don't want Vanellope getting hurt under your 'directions'."

"Why so protective, Gene?" Norwood laughed "Geeze, you're actin' as if I was gonna shove tha kid in tha oven or somethin'! Or are ya tryin' ta act all big, bad, n' blue for MAAAAAAARY?"

The Mayor turned an unearthly shade of rose, steam popping up from above his head. He scowled deeply but then relaxed.

"_Norwood?"_

"Yes?"

"Ya wanna play THAT game…" the mayor smiled "How 'bout this?"

Norwood's eyes darted to and fro; just what was the Mayor thinking?

"I find out ya cause ANY ruckus tonight, then I'm tellin' Nel."

Now NORWOOD was the one blushing but from the look on his face, he was blushing worse than Gene.

"YA WOULDN'T DARE."

"I would, because I CAN." Gene smiled devilishly, mussing up Norwood's mass of hair "An' I sure hate to find out she kicked ya out AGAIN."

Norwood puffed, cheeks flaring, brows furrowing….

Gene grinning.

HE HAD LOST.

"Oh, FINE." The man said "Like I was gonna cause any trouble ANYWAY!"

"Be sure to watch out for his CATS as well!" Gene waved, turning on his heels.

"Cats?" Vanellope asked in curiosity "What CATS?"

* * *

_***PHWEEEEEEEET!***_

"I'm HOOOOOOOOOOME!"

Before a word could be uttered from racer or wrecker, a flurry of CATS appeared before them!

ALL TYPES OF CATS.

Round cats, fat cats.

Skinny cats, and small cats.

Cats that were orange, cats that were white.

Cats with all sorts of colors.

Come cats were normal, some cats were alien.

Some cats were low-res, some cats were high.

SO.

MANY.

CATS!

"Wow…." Vanellope said, not sure what to make of the scene "That….that IS a lotta cats."

Norwood picked up a rather LARGE orange cat, one that looked like it fit in proper with the Nicelander design, and rubbed her behind the ears.

"Daw, Sassy. We have visitors tonight!"

Ralph looked down, his feet twitching as cats flowed past his feet like water, some of them looking up at him with huge eyes and mewling loudly.

WHAT WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?!

"Er, good thing I'm not allergic!"

"Are ALL of these yours?" Vanellope gasped, picking up a ten-legged, Cyclops cat "Unless there is somethin' 'bout Niceland that I DON'T know an' SHOULDN'T know about!"

"What? No." Norwood said, looking a might shocked "I don't OWN all of these cats!"

"Then-?"

The man laughed richly, Vanellope still a little startled by how different he sounded compared to the Nicelanders she knew.

"Call it cat-sittin'…." The man smiled "We have so many people here, in tha arcade I mean, sometimes they need a lil help takin' care of their pets!"

"Cats especially?" smiled Ralph.

Norwood nodded "CATS especially. I try ta offer my services as much as I can with animals an' such. Over tha years, I've found a few strays an' make sure they're taken care of before someone else take 'em!"

"Then how many cats DO ya really have?" asked Vanellope "Ya have so many of 'em in here, which ones are tha NICELANDER cats?"

The man smiled again, whistling.

"Guys! FALL IN!"

The cats proved to be more aware than Ralph and Vanellope thought, five cats jumping out of the sea of felines and sitting gracefully on the couch before the guest, all at attention.

"Allow me ta introduce ta ya, Sassy, Opal, Boxy, Noodles, and Tombo!"

"_Ya have a cat named NOODLES?"_

"Yeah, these were the guys that CAME with tha game!" Norwood continued "But they don't mind sharin' tha place with a few brothers an' sisters, do they?"

The largest of the cats eyed Vanellope, the girl shivering at those eyes.

"Don't worry, Sassy may look intimdatin' but she's sweet." Said Norwood.

"An'…BIG. She's a very big Nicelander cat…."

"Why do ya think everyone calls her Catzilla?" Norwood smiled "Well, that or Methuselah-Kitty, whatever sounds better ta ya!"

Vanellope looked around; for an apartment filled with cats, it was surprisingly well kept and clean. NOTHING was out of place and nothing was dirty. Norwood seemed to have full control of EVERYTHING around him.

"Guys, rest!"

The cats all sat down, looking up at their master.

"_Tha cat whisper-er-er-er!"_

"_Or maybe everyone was right!"_ Ralph whispered to Vanellope, pupils shrinking "_Maybe he IS a cat!"_

"So!" Norwood said, clapping his hands "Who's ready to make pie?"

Best to move on; the cats were looking at the two like fresh meat.

No one says no to the master.

Not a beat was missed as ingredients were gathered and tools were laid out. It was time to get the pie on!

"So, what pie do ya make?" asked Vanellope.

"Pum'kin, of course!" Norwood chuckled "What other pie would be perfect for me?"

"Oh, cherry maybe?" Vanellope joked "Ya look like a strawberry man!"

"It depends…" Norwood said, still smiling as he sliced fresh pumpkin pieces.

"Depends?" Vanellope gasped "Who could say NO ta strawberry pie?! I don't think even Satin could keep away!"

"I said, it DEPENDS." The Nicelander replied "Are they gonna be fresh? Tha berries, I mean."

Vanellope nodded "Of course, 'less ya like garbage berries!"

The Nicelander carefully measured the flour "The crust is gluten free?"

"Uh."

He then poured the EXACT amount of vanilla into a measuring spoon "No fakey-fake this or that? No artificial dyes, nothin' that requires me ta pull out tha scientist part of my grey matter ta pronounce?"

"Say, what's that gotta do with ANYTHIN'?" asked Vanellope.

"I hafta ask…" Norwood shrugged, the smile still on his face "Don't want me ta EXPLODE now do ya kiddo?"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Norwood seemed to ignore Vanellope's confusion, starting his work on the dough "Ah, just the right amount…"

"Hey, Mr. Norwood?" Ralph asked "What's tha deal with ya an' strawberry pie? What's all this stuff about ya EXPLODIN'?"

"Ah, it's not your faults! I'm allergic ta everythin' under tha sun so I hafta watch it!"

"YA ARE?!" Vanelloep glitched in shock. Norwood just nodded, as if nothing odd had been said.

"YUUUP. Can't eat fake dyes, nothin' with gluten in it, gotta stay away from hyper-refined junk. No this, no that. It it looks like it was made with nuclear waste-!" The man said, not missing a beat as he continued mixing the ingredients"'Ey, it's what I hafta live with. I'm fine with it!"

"S-So you're allergic to strawberries?"

"I already told ya kid, I'm allergic ta all the fake mess that went inta some pies. Including' that bland stuff that we were all programed ta make! But strawberries? Heh, lead me to 'em, I can eat all I want!"

Vanellope couldn't believe it. Norwood couldn't even enjoy the pies that automatically came with his game?

No wonder everyone preferred to make their own!

"Hey, don't look so shocked about it!" the man laughed, dusting the dough as he placed it in the tin "I've learned ta get around it an' HA! I'm still in one piece! Mostly!"

Vanellope mashed the pumpkin chunks in the bowl "It still sounds bad though. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't eat any of the sweets in my own game!"

"I'm sure your game is better for my health than most others!" Norwood chortled "From what I heard, tha sweets there are only tha best! Only top prime an' finest quality! Perhaps I should vacation there!"

"You're always welcome!" Vanellope smiled bright "EVERYONE is welcomed!"

The Vanellope who had heard the rumors a few days ago would have NEVER said something like that. The Vanellope from a few days ago would have still thought the Nicelanders were just playing up to Ralph, only to kick him out again.

But then again, the Vanellope from a few days ago had never actually MET the Nicelanders nor had she sat down with them.

The Vanellope from a few days ago would have missed out on a lot of GREAT things, pie being one of those things.

"Were tha original pies THAT bad?" Vanellope asked.

"URGH, they were TERRIBLE! I think Don PUKED when he tried a bite for the first time!" said Norwood.

"EW!" the girl said, wrinkling her nose "I can ONLY imagine it then! No, wait. No I don't want to…."

"At least, ta US they were that bad. I mean, we never really ASKED Felix how they tasted ta him since he would an' HAD ta wolf 'em down!" Norwood continued "He would always give us a thumbs up an' then move on but lookin' back..he DID seem ta GAG a bit from time ta time…."

"Chomp, chomp, chomp!" laughed Vanellope "Does he actually stop to savor 'em?"

"Who has time ta savor?" said Ralph "When ya got ducks an' bricks comin' at ya?"

Suddenly, Ralph began to wonder just how much effort it took to jump that much at once. Wrecking was his thing but to twirl on his toes and so fast? He shook his head, shuddering.

"_Hoo, I think I would get dizzy!"_

"What was that, Ralph?"

"Er, nothin' Norwood."

Norwood began cutting the top of the pie with the precision of a surgeon, Vanellope watching on as the little man handled the blade.

There was just something rather odd to the way he was cutting. She had watched the others cut, crimp, and fold long enough but the way Norwood was handling it?

He was handling it in his own unique way.

"So are ya tellin' me all these years, the pies that I, ahem, BORROWED, from tha community fridge were all 'original recipe' ala Nicelander?"

"Mmm! Finger-lickin' good, Ralph!" giggled Vanellope.

"Yup…" Norwood said "An' ta be polite, I don't mind that ya STOLE 'em big guy. We all do what we gotta do."

"Huh, you're so much more lax than Gene would be on the subject."

"That's because I'm _**NOT **_Gene." Norwood retorted "Hand me the nutmeg, kiddo"

"Sure thing!"

Norwood shock the spice into the bowl "Somethin' tells me tha others were bein' NICE 'bout those programmed pies, weren't they?"

"I guess ya could say that."

"HA! That is SO like them!" Norwood chuckled "Those things were freakin' NASTY!"

"Dare I ask how bad they were?" Vanellope said, swinging her legs on the chair she plopped herself into.

"Ya can."

"Worse than…." The girl though for a moment "Worm pie?"

"WORSE!"

"Worse than….moldy socks sandwiches!"

"WOOOOOORSE!"

"Worse than-!"

Vanellope had to think; she had to beat Norwood on this!

"Worse than…greasy bananas!"

"Keep goin'."

"On….rotten fish!"

"Keep it up!"

"With a side of nose hair!"

"Ah-huuuuuh?"

"AN' DOG TOENAILS!"

"WE GOT US A WINNER!" Norwood cheered, Vanellope laughing so hard her sides were aching. Ralph could only look on.

No wonder Gene had warned the two; Norwood was just as childish as Vanellope when things came right down to it.

"_You guys are GROSS."_

"Okay, maybe I'm stretchin' it a bit…." The red-head laughed, wiping away an eight-bit tear "But I swear on my pipe! One bite of those things, you'd understand right then why we had to think of somethin' better!"

"Ms. Lucy an' Mr. Tony told us there was a bit of a disagreement goin' on about tha whole thing, though." Said Ralph "Did it get that rough amongst ya guys?"

"Believe it!" Norwood said "MAN! I was certain some of us would tear each other up had Mary not stopped in!"

"MARY?!" Vanellope gasped "Wait a second! MARY was tha one who cast the final vote?!"

"Well, yeah!" Norwood said "Didn't Lucy an' Tony tell ya that?"

Vanellope was wide-eyed "….NO! They just told us that ya guys came ta an agreement! I didn't think MARY had anythin' ta do with givin' tha final say! Gene wasn't tha one?!"

"Gene…." Norwood said, rubbing his chin. He snorted "I think that was one of the few times I have EVER seen those two argue!"

Now RALPH was interested!

He was fully aware that Gene LOVED Mary, ADORED Mary, would go to the ends of the EARTH for Mary!

Did they really fight?

Norwood slapped himself on the forehead "Look at me! I'm goin' off more than DON!"

"Is that a BAD thing?"

"Considerin' that Donnie couldn't keep a secret to save his life, YES. Yes it is!"

"But what happened?"

"Ah, naw, naw, naw! I already said enough! Gene has EARS everywhere so if I say tha wrong thing, _**I'LL**_ be tha one launched out the window!"

"But Mr. Norwood!"

"NOPE." The man said, tapping Vanellope on the head with a spoon "Nope, that is their business but what I will tell is that I was on tha side that said 'Heck no! I'm not givin' him this TRASH!'"

"Ya know, I'd figure YOU'D be on that side." Ralph said.

"Hey, I won't get into tha 'wonderful' effects those old pies had on me…" the man shuddered "What happened ta me? It makes me pine for times when I would have a reaction like a NORMAL HUMAN."

Ralph said nothing, even with Vanellope eyeing him. He had been witness to some such 'reactions'.

_Thank God for regenerations._

Norwood looked at the pie that Vanellope had helped make, inspecting it here and there.

"Hmmmm, even distribution of filling. Tha dough seems ta check out…"

"So, is it any good?"

The man gave the wrecker and racer a thumbs up, grinning bright "PERFECTO, kid!"

"YEEES!" Vanellope grinned, dancing about giddily "Another pie made!"

"Wait, he's gotta bake it first…" smiled Ralph, the man then crossing his arms "An' need I remind ya? WHOOOO helped ya with tha pie?"

"Mr. Norwood, of course!" Vanellope teased.

"HEY, NORY? Do ya know how ta make BRAT PIE?"

Norwood turned the dials on the oven, giving Ralph a sinister smile "_I have JUST the recipe….._"

"Wait, don't tag-team on me!" Vanellope pouted.

"Maybe we should have Felix try a bit'ta this…." The Nicelander chuckled "He'd be more than happy ta taste it knowin' ya made it!"

"I think he would be happy knowin' ya taught me how, Mr. Norwood." The girl smiled, Norwood feeling rather proud of himself.

"Meeeh, this is just tha motions for me kid. After so many years ya get used ta it but like I said, Felix dissevered better pies!"

Norwood stopped, his back towards the others. The two guests could see the man still smiling, as he always did, but the air had changed around him. He slowed a bit, he softened, the arrogant and haughty mask slipping.

"You deserved better too, I guess."

"Mr. Norwood?"

The Nicelander slid the pie into the oven, putting the timer on. Without saying a word, he walked over to his table, sat down in a chair and lit his pipe. Vanellope watched as the man blew smoke rings into the air, the formation floating over him neatly before poofing out into pixels.

"Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanna ask ya somethin'…"

Vanellope went over to the table, pulling a seat out for herself "Yes?"

"Be honest with me here. Did ya really think we were gonna kick out Ralph again?"

The girl blushed, not knowing what to say but there was something to the man's question. He wasn't asking the girl about the event to be a smart-ass or to bother her.

He really wanted to know the truth.

Did she really think the Nicelanders would commit such an act upon Ralph again.

Vanellope knew the best way to respond to the man wasn't President to NPC but rather person to person, as they all were.

She breathed in, a smile forming on her face.

"Okay, yeah. I did think so."

A bit of sadness came upon Norwood's face, even with the smile he had "I deserve that."

"But see, that was my FIRST mistake." Vanellope stopped, wagging a finger in the air "I'm not gonna lie. I was upset when I heard what had happened between ya an' Ralph all these years."

"As anyone should be…" Norwood nodded, blowing another smoke ring from his pipe.

"But I just got caught up into things an' it made me realize somethin'…."

"Yeah?"

"Rumors stink. A lot worse than the place where I heard it for starters."

Vanellope leaned on the table, twirling some hair in her fingers.

"I'm startin' ta see how easy it is ta get caught up in this mess." The girl began "I had always wondered HOW Turbo could get a rumor to go on so strong an' at first, I thought it had somethin' ta do with tha memory thing he did ta us. But really? I got taken in WITHOUT some code-room cover up? Turbo knew EXACTLY what he was doin'!"

"An' that was?" Ralph asked.

"He knew how much gossip could hurt people an' on top of that? He was KING! People would listen ta him, just like those people were all the more ready ta listen ta me!" Vanellope continued "He had power, just like I have power now. When someone with power starts somethin', of course people are gonna follow 'em, which I guess was one of tha reasons so many people followed me when I was so certain that tha first rumors I heard were true. That's why I'm sorry for this whole mess. I just wanted Ralph ta be safe an' happy. I never WANTED tha entire arcade ta feel like they had tha RIGHT ta treat ya like this, especially since they did so without thinkin' even before I came here!"

"I still don't lay tha blame on ya." said Norwood.

"Really?"

"A'course not!" the man said "I don't because CONGRATULATIONS! You've just met some of tha jerks that have resided in this arcade since tha beginin'! Aren't they _**SWELL?**_"

"It makes me wonder though…." Vanellope said to Norwood "If I weren't President. If I didn't have any special title, would some of them even care? Would they treat me tha same way they do now?"

The girl began to think, remembering how some characters had approached her when she got her first chance to step into the arcade. While some where honest with her, looking past her Presidential title to treat her like any other person, there were others. The ones who moved in too close, the ones who hung onto her title and only her title.

WOULD they have cared about her if she were not President?

"Never mind…." The girl said "I already know tha answer ta that…."

"Ya gotta learn ta ignore 'em." Norwood smiled "For me, that was tha best thing I could do. I learned a long time ago I really couldn't let people like 'em bother me about whatever thing they would point out about me!"

Norwood laughed again, thinking back to the many years he had been at Litwak's.

"I could write a BOOK on all the things I've been called over the years. Shaved Wookie, Hair Ball. Oh, my favorite one was 'Oh God, not the one with the scary eyes.'"

The man sighed, feeling guilty.

"Still though, it really doesn't excuse my behavior towards ya, Ralph."

Norwood leaned back, brows furrowing.

"'Cuz really? There have been so many who have passed through here who have treated us a LOT worse. A LOT."

The big man put a hand behind his head. He knew Norwood was trying to apologize and from his tone, it was something he had wanted to do for a while. Something was still holding him back.

"I wish tha world wasn't so black n' white…." The Nicelander sighed "Maybe if we had thoughts like we do now, HALF of tha issues we ran into wouldn't have existed. Bad guys wouldn't be 'bad guys', good guys wouldn't have to plaster smiles on their faces all the time, NPC wouldn't be runnin' 'round scared like mice….a whole buncha things."

"But times are changin', Mr. Norwood!" Vanellope smiled "I know ya think so too!"

"I do. Maybe a lil…" the man said "But it still doesn't erase that I never opened up around bad guys either."

"Considerin' some of the jerks you've come across, I can't really blame ya." Said Ralph "The more I look back, there was so many things goin' on under our own noses. Things we never saw because we were so-"

"Preoccupied…." Norwood finished "Too bad I was preoccupied on a lotta negative things."

Ralph and Vanellope looked at Norwood again, his eyes drifting off to the pictures on his mantle place. One picture stuck out the most; a group shot of all the Fix-it-Felix Jr. characters together. The red-head was fixated on something.

Or someone.

The two guest could see it. Even if Norwood thought they were looking at the entire group, Vanellope and Ralph caught it.

He was looking at Nel.

Why Nel?

Perhaps it would be best to leave that question to be answered for another day.

"What about all those cats ya tried ta help?" asked Vanellope "That's somethin' good ya do!"

"Yeah, who doesn't LOVE a short lil chunker with red hair who collects CATS? I'm everyone's DREAM."

"I mean it! These lil guys seem ta like it when ya take care of 'em, an' if I'm gettin' my facts straight this time, there are some people here who do thank ya for keepin' care of 'em!"

"Eh, it's what I do." The Nicelander grinned "Ya know, besides eatin' too much cake an' buggin' Gene."

"You two aren't really friends are ya?" Vanellope nodded, a serious look on her face "I mean from tha way he was goin' at ya-?"

"GENE?! HA!" the man laughed richly "Kid, Genie is tha best friend I could EVER have here!"

Both wrecker and racer nearly hit the floor at that declaration.

Norwood, in all honesty, in all his word, could say with a smile that Gene was his friend.

Not just _**A**_ friend; his _**BEST**_ friend!

"Rewind that last part…." Vanellope said "Your _**BEST**_ friend?! But he was about to rip ya ta shreds!"

"Phht! Those bluffs? They're just Gene blowin' some steam off!"

"Er, I wouldn't be able ta guess that…."

"Hold on a sec!" Norwood said, running to his office room. A moment later, the man came out carrying a HUGE photo album, a childlike smile on his face.

"I know some of these are just 'memories' from our programmers but they're still work a look at!"

Pictures. So many, MANY pictures!

Ralph and Vanellope were aghast as they looked at the huge photo album, showing pictures of the entire Niceland crew at various ages.

"HA! Oh my gobs!" laughed Vanellope "Is THIS what Nicelander kids look like?! You guys are so round an' tiny! H-how big are Nicelander babies?!"

"It gets better!" Norwood smiled "Here we have a pre-Mayor Gene learning why it's not a good idea to take things from Mary!"

Ralph and Vanellope looked at the picture, seeing the form of an undersized Nicelander child in blue being wailed upon by a girl in pink, the child slapping the smaller boy upside the head with a toy wand.

MARY.

"MARY?!"

"Mary."

The two erupted into laughter, turning the pages to see more.

"Wow, no wonder she can control him!" Ralph laughed "She had him under his thumb from the start!"

"Well, maybe not…." Norwood cackled, turning the page to show the again child Gene gleefully sitting on top of Mary, the girl in pink looking rather sour "Daw, tha widdle couple."

"I-! I CAN'T BREATHE!" Vanellope laughed, finding the next picture funnier than the last "I-is that you?! Look at all that hair! I can't even see your eyes!"

Norwood looked rather proud as he fluffed up his hair "What can I say? People love red-heads!"

Ralph and Vanellope were getting quite the workout from laughing at the pictures but as they continued on and the pictures became more recent, the two saw that Norwood had been truthful in his words. Even as they got older, there were so many pictures of Gene and Norwood together. Some of the pictures showed them right in the middle of getting into trouble with someone but most of them showed them acting like what two old friends would act like.

"Yeah, I know Gene seems like a hard as-, hard _**CASE **_at times but trust me, once you get past that blueberry entrusted layer of grump, he's someone ya CAN trust an' count on. I know he's had my back more than a handful of times."

"Wow, I never really would have thought." Said Vanellope "I thought most of the time, Gene was just angry and drank a lot."

"Oh, he does more than that!" said Norwood "He does things like use his universal key ta get into our apartments an' devour EVERYTHIN' in tha fridge!"

Vanellope clamped her hands over her mouth as she nearly let out a loud snort. This was just too much.

"'Norwood! Prove to me that I broke in here! You can't do it!" Norwood said in his best Gene voice, Ralph cracking up "Well Gene, my cake is missin'. Plus, there is tha fact that I WALKED IN ON YA WHILE YA WERE EATIN' IT."

Norwood frowned much like Gene, cheeks puffed out and hands to his hips much like the mayor.

"NO I –**URP!**\- DIDN'T!"

That was it. Vanellope had gone over the edge in hilarity, falling out of her seat and kicking her legs in the air.

"Th-that! That was tha most GLORIOUS thing I have EVER been told, Mr. Norwood!"

Outside the apartment, two figures stood, listening in to the laughter.

"Well, at least he got 'em laughin'…" Nel said with a smile, Gene smiling with her.

"Yes. Yes he did." Gene smiled wide, something clutched in his hands "Good ol' _**NORWOOD."**_

"Put the ax down, Gene." Smiled Nel.

"Wait, Nicelanders can DRIVE?!"

"Yeah, that's from when we tricked Nel into bein' our getaway driver during that beer run in eighty-seven! HA! Ya should have heard her scream when she found out what we were doin'!"

"Put the crowbar down, Nel." Smiled Gene.

_***DING!***_

Finally, the pie was done, Norwood taking it out of the oven and basking in the smell.

"Ah, perfection!"

"Wooooow! It looks GREAT!" said Vanellope, her mouth watering.

"An' see? Ya can make good things WITHOUT all those nasty fake ingredients things!" said Norwood "Let someone say they can't!"

"I hafta admit, Mr. Norwood. I never really thought so much about HOW ya guys made your pies till now." Ralph smiled as Norwood cut him a large slice.

"Betcha thought it was automated, didn't cha?" the red-head smirked.

"I am ashamed ta admit that I did think that at first." The wrecker said, a deep look of sadness on his face.

The sadness quickly washed away, replaced by cockiness.

"But I'm not ashamed to admit that I am gonna enjoy tha HECK outta this pie!"

"You're welcome!" Norwood smiled, Sassy hopping into his lap "It's things like this that make pie-makin' worth it. I mean, I like it. I know it's my job but if I had a choice for myself, I wouldn't do it THIS much!"

"Then what would ya do?" Vanellope asked "Help more cats?"

"Yes, of course." Norwood nodded "What I mean though, is if I had more time I could actually concentrate on my real job."

"Wait, WHAT is your job?" asked Ralph "Up until now, I thought PIE-MAKIN' was all you guys did?"

Norwood gave Ralph a confused look "I thought ya knew."

"Knew…WHAT?"

"Ralph…" Norwood said, thumbing over to a degree on the wall "I'M A VET."

**AND THEN EVERYTHING MADE SENSE.**

Ralph dropped the fork on the table as he looked at the degree on the wall….

And then the book on animal biology on the shelf.

And the posters of animal skeletons on the wall.

So Norwood WASN'T just the 'red-headed one who lived with all the cats'!

"I shouldn't be surprised…." The big man said "I should NOT be surprised."

Vanellope's eyes lit up as she looked at Norwood "So….you know how to take care of sick animals?"

"Of course! That's my passion, young lady! I help ANY animal in need!"

Vanellope glitched before the man, taking his hands "Sir! I have just tha job for ya!"

* * *

"Hmm…." Norwood said as he inspected the frog "Let's see what's wrong with this lil guy…"

Sticky clutched her hands as the Nicelander looked over her pet. Her eyes glistened with tears, her lips quivered in anxiety.

Was he going to be alright?

After a moment or two, a light went off in the man's head.

"Ah-HA!"

"W-what!? What is it?!" asked a frantic Sticky.

Norwood went into his kit, extracting some tweezers. Sticky nearly dropped to the floor, ANY doctor's instruments looking like a torture device to her at this point.

"Say aaaaah!"

The frog opened its he maw, Norwood reaching in with his tools only to pull out-!

A hair bow?

"So THAT'S where your missing bow went!" Minty said in a huff "Your frog must have eaten it when it broke off!"

The obstruction gone, the fog let out a happy-sounding croak and hopped into its owners hands.

"Bubba, you're alright!"

"An' FINALLY, ya can stop worryin'!" smiled Minty, Torvald slugging her in the shoulder a moment later.

"Easy fix." Norwood smiled "Just glad ta see tha lil guy is okay!"

Ralph smiled. With each new pie he and Vanellope baked, the two were starting to learn a lot more about the neighbors that had once feared Ralph. The wrecker was starting to enjoy the sessions, starting to enjoy seeing the Nicelanders take him in but also to see them doing the things they loved.

Sure, they loved pie but there was more to it than that. Much more.

"So Mr. Norwood, do ya like frogs too?"

"Ya know kid, I DO like other animals ASIDE from cats. Cats just seem ta gravitate towards me more often."

"Maybe it's the hair…" said Vanellope.

"He just has a way with things like this, kid." Ralph said, standing proud, pride in his voice "Everyone at Fix-it-Felix Jr. has their role! An' they should be proud of it!"

Ralph's words were strong….but they were quickly broken when Sticky's frog LEAPT up and planted itself right on the man's face with a loud PLOP.

"ALWAYS PROUD."

"Bubba, you know better than that!"

"_***BRI-BRIT*"**_


	5. Pecan

Chapter Five- Pecan

"So, Ralph. How have things been going between you and the Nicelanders?" Clyde asked, the ghost smiling at his fellow Bad-Anon. Ralph seemed so refreshed and energetic, brighter than he had ever been before.

"Great!" the big man smiled "Tha past few day have been better than I could have expected!"

"I heard what happened." Said Bowser, the giant reptile sipping a cup of tea "A lil upsettin' that that kid of yours got tied into all that mess, but I'm glad she an' the Nicelanders were able to patch things up before it was too late "

"Yeah, she understands the consequences of it now." Ralph nodded "We all do."

"Here, here!" said a fellow anon "Stuff like that is part of the problem."

"It only takes ONE lie to hurt someone." Ralph added "But I still hafta ask, Bowz."

Bowser looked over at the wrecker, "Yes?"

"Just how BAD was it in your last arcade?" the wrecker asked "I mean, from tha way ya put it..."

"There are some things I would rather keep PRIVATE, Ralph." The large Koopa said "But to stem your curiosity, things got REALLY bad before we were sold here."

"Sold?"

The massive creature leaned forward, sighing "There were some good people at the last place, there were. But for the most part, the entire arcade was dog-eat-dog. An' yes, there were certain 'RULES' we had to follow."

Sorceress shook her head "I can tell just by the look in your eyes you got a lot of it, big fella."

"NPCs had to do this, Bad-Guys had to go that way and don't think the heroes got it any better."

Bowser cracked his knuckles, thinking back to the rougher days of his career "I remember an ol' game. Can't recall the name of it, but Ralph it should be familiar to you!"

"Me?" the big man pointed to himself "How so?"

"It was in the TobiKomi family!" the reptile returned, a bit of a smirk on his face "They were really old though but by the time I came in, things had gotten really tough. These guys, they were trying to be as welcoming as possible, trying to show us that not all games went along with those rules. Their bad guys? Ha, most confident bunch I had ever seen! The fox lady? Man, you talk back to her about being a bad guy, she'd SHOW you a thing or two. Plus, the figure on her wasn't bad ei-!"

"Er, Sir?" said the Frog Girl "You were saying?"

"Well, how bad is an arcade when even the HEROES of a game are scared to be themselves?"

Pretty bad, indeed.

"I remember one of them. She was almost EXACTLY as big as you Ralph, height wise anyway."

The big man arched a brow "Really, now?"

"Yeah, but she was a horribly scared thing. I remember when I shook her hand, she was shaking in her shoes and I don't think it was because I was a bad guy…more so, the entire place had gotten it in her head that no matter WHAT she did, no matter WHO she was, she was always going to mess something up. And she was a MAIN! Couldn't take a step without some shouting at her."

The other anons shook their head, murmuring in disgust.

"Count our blessings, I guess…." Said the Cyborg "One game at a time, and it can always be worse."

"MUCH worse." Said Bowser "The reason I'm here is because the owner of the place had to sell most of the intact games to recoup his loses."

"Whoa, for WHAT?" asked Ralph.

"The games started bustin' up." The reptile replied "We were only there for about three or so years before games started going under, one by one!"

"That's awful!" said an alien "You know what happened?"

Bowser's face darkened, the man looking down. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about what happened.

"I can only say that I'm thankful. Thankful we got out of there in time." He sighed "Before we left though, I do know that game. The TobiKomi one. It went bust too…."

"Did ya ever see those guys again?"

Bowser shook his head "No. I'm sorry to say no one was there to help them in time and…."

The reptile had to stop, rubbing the bridge of his snout. He then looked up, trying his best to smile.

"Okay, enough with this!" the huge beast laughed "I didn't mean to bring the mood down by bringing up things from the past! I want to hear some good things from you guys!"

That was abrupt. Ralph looked on but he knew it would be best not to pressure the large creature into spilling any more information but from what he could tell, it didn't matter what arcade one went to, there was always going to be something one had to fight through.

Ralph thought back, thinking to the days when he and the rest of the Fix-it-Felix Jr. family had been plugged in. The first few weeks went by without much incident but as the memories began to come closer and closer together, the wrecker was starting to come to terms that he and the rest of the game's inhabitants HAD come under the influence of the negative thoughts of the arcade.

None of the trouble had even come up until people started talking, until people started spreading rumors.

But the best thing about rumors?

The can be broken.

And thanks to Calhoun's idea, Ralph and Vanellope were learning more about the people that the wrecker had once believe to be unwilling to accept him. The people many in the arcade had said would never be good.

"Good night!" the wrecker called out to the rest of his buddies once the meeting was over "I'll tell ya about tha pie durin' our next meetin'!"

"Why don't ya be a good boy and BRING US SOME?" snarked Sorceress "We can smell them pies baking all the way from OUR game! Share!"

The big man chuckled as he left the game, Vanellope awaiting for him as usual.

"Ya ready?" the girl smiled.

"As always!"

The trolley ride was met by greetings from the other Nicelanders, Vanellope and Ralph waving their hellos.

"So who did Calhoun say ya had to go to nice?" asked Ralph.

"Don." Said Vanellope "What's the scoop about him?"

"From what I do know….he likes boats….an'…sharks. An' boats…." The man laughed to himself. He didn't know very much about Don from what little he could gather when he DID see him but no one could miss the sharply dressed sailor.

"Hey Ralph!" sang Lucy, slugging the man in his arm "Lookin' for someone?"

"Yeah." The big man said "Seen Don anywhere?"

Lucy let out a groan "THAT ol' duddie? Hope ya brought some blankets cus you're in for a SNOOZE-FEST with him!"

"Aw, come on." Said Vanellope "He can't be THAT bad can he?"

"HE SHOVES ME IN CLOSETS." Lucy pouted "An' for no reason too! Not even GENE does that!"

"That's because he knows Mary would kick his butt if he did…." Laughed Tony, raking some leaves behind his sister.

"Anyway, if ya wanna see him, he should be up in his apartment by now…" the younger Nicelander snorted, rolling her eyes "It was nice knowin' ya, cuz ya ain't comin' out in THIS lifetime."

By now, Ralph was getting accustomed to Lucy's sarcasm but he had to admit he was getting a little worried. Don did seem to get a lot of eye-rolls from people, so maybe both he and Vanellope were in for a trip with him.

The two arrived at the door, Vanellope knocking "Mr. Don?"

"Ah, are you here already?" a voice said from the other side.

"I think we're here on time!"

The tumbler clanked, Don greeting them with open arms and a cheerful smile.

"Ah, welcome! Welcome!" the man said in a rich voice "Make yourselves at home!"

The two walked in, looking around at the apartment.

Ralph was right; Don LOVED boats and sharks!

There were so many things adorned in the Nicelander's apartment. Pictures, ships in bottles, all sorts of specimens of sea creatures and trinkets. It was like a museum of the sea all around!

"Wow…." Vanellope said "Are ya sure that this is the only thing in the game? From the looks of things, Don's been all over the world!"

"Pardon the mess." Don called from the kitchen "Every time I try to clean up, something comes up and then I forgot and then more clutter comes up and then-!"

The man chuckled, his mind starting to go off.

"Eh, enough about MY mess. I heard someone here was instructed to have some pie lessons?"

"That's ME!" Vanellope waved but she gave a quick look at Ralph, smirking "Stinky here is just my PROTÉGÉ. Not as smart, not as good lookin', but hopefully he'll catch on."

"Says the kid who got in trouble…"

"Great! I love an audience!" Don smiled "Just step right into the kitchen!"

Vanellope and Ralph did as instructed, gearing themselves up but as they did so, Don did something rather unexpected.

"Now, where is that recipe?"

Unlike the other Nicelanders, Don found himself searching around for a COOKBOOK for this venture. Before, the other Nicelanders had done their handy work by MEMORY, their skills hammered into their brains.

Why did DON need a cook book?

"Um, lookin' for somethin'?" asked Vanellope.

Don banged his head against the top of the shelf as he tried to stand up "Ow. Oh, nothin'. Just looking for that recipe…"

Wrecker and racer looked at each other but they shrugged.

"AH HA!" Don cried out in happiness as he found the book "Here we go! I always put this thing up when I'm trying to clean! I should just leave it here since I need it every day!"

"Er, what for?" Vanellope asked, Don flipping through the pages "I thought that with your pie-skills ya wouldn't NEED a cook book!"

"Wait, excuse me?" Don said, looking rather surprised at the girl "_**MY**_ pie-skills?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, all of you guys are programmed to make pies so-!"

Don just looked at the child with a shocked look on his face, Vanellope stopping her chatter.

"Er, was there something I said?"

Before Vanellope knew what was happening, Don erupted into laughter, the sailor positively TICKLED by the girl's comments.

"Oh! Thank you for thinking so highly of an old sailor like me!" the Nicelander said, wiping away an eight-bit tear "But sadly, if one were to have a thumb for pie bakin', MINE is broken."

"What?!" gasped Vanellope.

"Yeah, I agree. WHAT?" said Ralph "Are ya tellin' me that you, a NICELANDER, cannot bake pie?"

"NOPE." Don said, looking somewhat proud of that confession "Truth be told, cooking has never been my strong suit at all…."

"Then…how?" Vanellope asked.

"Call it luck on my part that so many of my neighbors know how to cook better than I do." the man smiled, starting the pie "I was so used to the pies that came with the game that I was kind of, well, HESITANT when the others decided to throw that junk away and make our own."

"Norwood said you threw up when you ate one."

Don looked away, stirring the filling mixture EXTRA hard with a smile.

"BOY. I SURE DO LOVE NORWOOD." The man said "He ALWAYS has the right thing to say."

"Er, maybe we should move on…." Said Ralph "I can handle the dough if ya need me to."

"Ah, thanks Ralph." Don said, true sincerity in his voice "I'm sure those hands can get to mixin'!"

"Oh, they will!" the wrecker smiled, kneading the dough.

Ralph was starting to enjoy pie baking. Wrecking was his claim to fame but for the past few days, making so many sweets was starting to grow on him, especially since the Nicelanders were starting to spoil him with the treats afterwards.

What went great with pie?

EVERYTHING!

He was given EXTRA tea, EXTRA ice cream, EXTRA cookies, EXTRA sandwiches.

"_If I don't contain myself, I'll be as chubby as Gene."_ Ralph laughed to himself.

"But Mr. Don." Vanellope said "What's a Nicelander to do that can't bake pies?"

"Learn to of course." The man smiled as he looked at the recipe "Hand me the pecans and brown sugar."

"Oh, right."

"Aaah, it was one of the most embarrassing things I had gone through. And trust me, I HAVE done some stupid things over the years!" Don chuckled at the memory "There we were, all coming down from that fight we had! We-!"

The man looked over at the two, stopping himself from continuing.

"Well?" asked Vanellope "What happened?"

"Meh, you wouldn't want to know…." The sailor smiled "Just more stories for me to ramble on about. Everyone else gets so tired of them that-!"

"I wanna hear!" Vanellope said suddenly.

If she could get ANY information, she would be happy. She wanted to know WHAT exactly had happened when the Nicelanders decided to go against their own code just to please Felix.

"Meh, it's nothing."

"But sir!"

"I'm sure you wouldn't care. It's just Nicelander fluff."

"I wanna know!" Vanellope said, taking Don's hand "I'm all ears, given how BIG they are!"

Don smirked.

He had an audience.

This was HIS moment to shine.

"Okay…." The man smirked, snapping his fingers "Ya wanna know what happened?"

Vanellope nodded, eyes bright.

"Keep helping me with this pie, and you'll get EVERY bit you need to know!"

Vanellope saluted the captain, knocking her feet together "Yes, sir!"

Don twirled an egg-beater in-between his fingers, plunging it into the batter "There we all were! Back in…in well, it was the same year we were plugged in! Some things had happened, the lot of us conflicted to what we should do!"

Don then reached over for the pecans, shaking the bag but his face scrunched up to a frown, the man putting a finger under his nose.

Vanellope and Ralph knew INSTANTLY who the sailor was trying to impersonate.

"Everyone!" Don said, trying his best to sound like Gene "I understand your concerns for this situation but please, calm down!"

Vanellope tried to hold back her laughter; so she wasn't the only one who joked with Gene? Even the other Nicelanders took their turns.

Perfect.

Don returned to his normal stance "Genie was still getting used to the whole 'MAYOR' thing, the poor guys was sweating BULLETS each time a crisis came up."

"Wait, so even HE didn't take to his job at first?" Vanellope asked.

"Are you kidding me?" laughed Don "He acted all hoity-toity about it at first but when things started turning. 'Oh Sweet Ghost of Miyamoto! I CAN'T HANDLE THIS!'"

Ralph and Vanellope began laughing, Don joining them.

"But things hadn't ended yet!" the man said, taking a pink salt shaker "'Oh, why lie about Gene?"

"Ms. Mary?"

Don nodded "'You know those pies are AWFUL. Even YOU won't eat them!'"

"An' when THAT happens, ya KNOW you're in trouble!" laughed the wrecker.

"'And after everything that Felix has done for us! Why not give him what he really deserves!'"

Don slid the mixing bowl over to Vanellope, pointing towards the contents.

"Now add in the eggs and stir."

The girl did as she was told, looking over at the man "Did they get mad at each other?"

"I'm afraid to inform you that they did…." Don said in a sad voice "I hate seeing people fight like that and it was quite the storm."

"What brought them back together?"

The Nicelander eyed the two "You can guess at that."

No matter what happened, no matter what came between them….

_Nothing could tear Gene and Mary apart._

But it was still a scary thought to both Ralph and Vanellope. It was like imagining Felix and Calhoun suddenly fighting with each other and refusing to speak. Even if Ralph found more humor in Gene at this point, he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of both he and Mary fighting, especially after he had been a witness to the rage the Mayor displayed when someone hurt her. Even saying something out of term about her brought forth a side of Gene that Ralph was a little scared of, as if there was some sort of MONSTER held within his tiny, chubby body.

He was IMMENSELY protective of the woman so to think that there was a time that they were NOT so close?

And all because of pie?

"Pie is a powerful tool…." Said Ralph. Don nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, it is."

Vanellope looked up "Aaaan' THEN-?"

"Thankfully, it didn't last long, the anger I mean. So after all the amends were made, we had a little vote. Half of the block agreed to do a little code tweaking, the rest of us? Myself included? NOPE."

Don took the dough from Ralph, placing it in the pan but he posed again, this time looking rather worried and fidgety.

"Now guuuuuys!" the man said, sounding like another Nicelander "What if someone CATCHES us? What if FELIX catches us?! Oh! It will be a DISASTER! I know it, I know it!"

"Roy?" Ralph pointed. Don crossed his arms smugly.

"You know my worry-wart cousin well…." Don sniffed arrogantly "Good lad."

"Wait, YOU TWO-?" Vanellope laughed "Ah-HA! I thought you too looked alike!"

Don walked over to the counter, a few family photos resting on it "I always thought I was the HANSOM one of the two."

The two guest looked over, spying some of the photos. Like so many others, they did tell stories and from the way Vanellope was trying to hold back her laughter, they were HILARIOUS stories.

"Aaw, more widdle Nicelanders!" Vanellope cooed, making kissy noises "But I can see YA changed a bit!"

"How so?"

"Judging from the way you're SLAMMIN' Roy into the mud, I guess-?"

The sailor looked over, taking notice of the picture Vanellope was calling attention to. In it were both Don and Roy, the two back when they were children, back when Don was much, to say the least, ROUGHER.

_Back when Don was still blond and Roy still had a head of brown hair._

"Ah-haaaaa…." Don laughed in embarrassment "Yeaaah. I wasn't really the neatest kid on the block back then."

"Holy…" said Ralph as he looked at another picture "I think ya played around in the mud more than I've been THROWN in it!"

Don then began crimping the sides of the dough, checking the filling "Eh, why be ashamed of it now? They're just backstories, right?"

The sailor stopped, smiling at the empty pie dough "I just wish PIE-MAKING skills were also a part of it but I guess that was the joke. I'd be lost without the others!"

"Then why didn't ya just admit that then?" asked Vanellope "From tha way things sound, wouldn't there have been PLENTY of that guys ya could have gone too for help?"

"Yes, there were…" the Nicelander nodded "But it was pride. I just couldn't let them know I couldn't help them, that I couldn't help Felix. It was a nightmare."

"So had ya actually been able ta make your own stuff, ya would have joined in?" asked Ralph.

"Shameful isn't it?" the sailor said "A grown man like me being scared to admit that I couldn't boil water without assistance! I was trying to keep face, I was trying to keep up about it but eventually I was caught."

Vanellope poured the batter into the dough "How? Someone rat ya out?"

"Yes…." Don said, mixing the top glaze "But it wasn't anyone from here…."

"Really? Then who?"

"I'll give you ONE guess….." Don said, a bit of darkness coming into his eyes.

Vanellope might not have caught it at first but Ralph sure did. He leaned on the counter, looking down at Don.

"Him?"

Don looked over "HIM."

"Aw, c'mon! I wanna know too!" pouted Vanellope.

"Here, you can decorate the filling anyway you want with the pecans…" Don said, handing the girl the bowl "Just lay them out on top and don't push them INTO the filling. They need to float or they won't get nice and toasty."

"Okay, but who let it out? Who told?"

"I'm sure Ralph will fill you in later on that but when HE did find out? UURGH, it was a day of torment!"

"What happened? Was it really that bad?"

"You two, I want you to think of something." Said the Nicelander "How would YOU feel if everyone went around laughing about how you couldn't do the job you were apparently programmed to do?"

The sailor put a hand to his face, looking so calm, so peaceful but the two could see some unrest in his eyes.

"I know it's supposed to be a joke, I get why some people think it's funny why I can't cook since I'm supposed to give pies to Felix to HELP him. But they always took it too far. They took it as a sign that I couldn't do ANYTHING."

Vanellope thought, feeling a twinge run up her spine.

She remembered those days. The days when she would cobble together parts just to make a kart.

A kart that she could not drive and not because the others would not let it, but because she had never accessed that part of her could.

She COULD not access it.

It had been blocked.

"Yeah…." The girl said, putting her hand on top of Don's. She smiled "Yeah, I do know how it feels."

The sailor smiled back, feeling a sense of comfort coming over him. It was something he never wanted to speak of outside his closest friends due to the reacting he had gotten when word got out.

Vanellope had given him some comfort.

There was comfort in knowing that you're not the only one who has to go through something.

"Well, anyway…." Don continued, clearing his throat "I don't know HOW he found out but he did and he spread it around the entire arcade like fire! So here I am, some of the other Nicelander gentlemen with me and we're at Tapper's!"

Don leaned on the counter, posing like Tapper's.

"So guys, what'll be?' Taps said! I'm about to order when all of a sudden, HE shows up with a few of his cronies behind him!"

"Were Jet an' Set there?" Ralph asked. Don nodded no.

"No, those two were NEVER along with him when he brought trouble. I actually have fond memories with those guys."

"Ugh, stop being so SECRETIVE with me!" Vanellope growled "I know you're talkin' about TURBO. What's the point of hiding it from me?"

"I guess it's more backhand embarrassment…." Said the Nicelander "To be roped in because of what he did and said to us. It's shameful."

"Well, this is the guy who took over MY game…." Said Vanellope "I don't blame you for being roped in with him considering the stuff he could do. But what did he say about ya?"

Don looked down at the pie. Vanellope had arranged the pecans in the same of some sort of blobby shark.

"Hehe, we got a lil artist here?"

"Eh, I wouldn't be too impressed by it." Said Vanellope "Just somethin' I made on tha fly! Now Gloyd! HE can draw!"

"Either way, you did a fine job!" Don said, glazing the top of the pecans with the sugar coating "And now all we have to do it put it in the oven and wait!"

"An' then sweet pecan pie goodness!" Vanellope cooed, her mouth drooling at the thought of the pie "I can't wait to taste it!"

"Hope that it comes out good." Don chuckled to himself "Knowing my luck-"

"Hey, you've been passin' out pies for THIS long! You've been doin' just fine it seems!" said Ralph, Don looking back.

The sailor seemed a bit stunned at the friendly smile that Ralph was giving him, as if he hadn't expected HIM of all people to compliment him in such a way. The big man could see the already blushed cheeks of the man glowing even brighter, his happiness clear.

"Thank you!" Don said "Thank you so much, young man."

"So Turbo started sayin' guff about ya an' pies." Vanellope said "Did he ever STOP?"

"I was just so embarrassed then." Don said "I tried to be polite, I always do when I'm out but in that moment, I just felt so….so…"

Don rubbed his knuckles, trying his best to collect himself in the moment.

"I always try my best to be the most mature head out of the lot of us." Don began "I don't like to pick fights when I don't have to, especially in such a public place."

The man walked over to the table, pulling himself a seat as the other two followed suit.

"So to have someone talk down to me like that, to have someone tell me that I, that ALL of us just were not worth it-"

It may have been long ago but it still stung, especially with the way people were gleefully happy to bring it back up.

"I think that was the moment I kind of….I kind of figured it all out."

"Figure WHAT out?"

"That this place wasn't as cheery as I hoped it would be." Don said, looking at the two "When we were first plugged in, I was so excited and ready to take EVERYONE out to see all the games. I LOVE exploring! I love going to new places and meeting people! I guess that is ONE thing I have carried over from my coding! But like Felix, I ALWAYS tried-"

TRIED.

TRIED WAS THE IMPORTANT WORD.

"I always tried to look at the best of people, even when they did something mean. But that day. That day when Turbo came in and told EVERYONE in that bar that I couldn't bake a pie, that I wasn't able to do my job…."

There was a moment of silence between the three, the clock hands ticking loudly on the wall.

"I felt useless."

There was that word again; USELESS.

Ralph and Vanellope heard that word being used a LOT to describe the Nicelanders and to see their reactions towards being defined as just that, they saw how much it hurt them.

Bad Guys don't want to be BAD GUYS.

NPCs don't want to be USELESS.

"It bore me to the code but I stood my ground. I had to. I didn't want to fold into him since he had already said enough towards us already and had already started getting to some of us. I could see it happening. Roy didn't want to hang out with me as much anymore, some of the ladies ducked out of going to the lil bijous in some games. It was like everyone just wanted to be somewhere where they didn't have to deal with it all."

Retreating back to Niceland. Hiding from all the bad guys?

Sounded just about right.

"So when it came to our decision, I was freaked. I didn't want anyone to think I was trying to hold the others back but at the same time, if I did say yes and Felix found out I couldn't bake pies as well as the others? What would have thought of me? Would he think I didn't care, that I was terrible, that I couldn't handle the job?"

It was always about making Felix happy, the man who spent all his time making sure THEY were happy.

Ralph was starting to see a never ending circle of people worrying whether or not they were doing ENOUGH to make EVERYONE happy.

Was this really what was going on behind his back?

"An' when did ya finally make it?" Vanellope asked "I mean, tha pie that is….."

"One day I just buckled down." The man said "I knew I had to ask for help but I was still too ashamed to do so. I mean, I'm NICELANDER DON! I'm supposed to be one of the more mature Nicelanders! I help EVERYONE ELSE out, not the other way around!"

The man smiled softly, thinking of the others.

"So…"

"So?"

"So I asked her?"

"Who? Mary?"

"No…" Don shook his head "MEGAN."

"Ms. Meg?" Ralph said quickly, trying to cover up his excitement. He had seen the younger Nicelander blushing from afar whenever Don talked to her.

It was obvious someone had a little bit of a crush on Don.

"I don't know WHY I came to her first but I think it was because I felt she….she needed some reassurance herself." Don said, looking a might embarrassed, trying to hide his own rosy cheeks "There had been some INCIDENTS before all of this that caused Meg to retreat into the apartments. She never came out like she used to. So when all this pie stuff began, I….I…."

Don began blushing even more, something that rarely happened to the man unless something REALLY touched him.

"_Megan?"_

"_D-Don?"_

"_Er, if you don't mind….can I ask a favor of you?"_

"_W-What is it? I haven't done anything wrong have I?"_

"_No, no! I just…I just need a bit of help with something."_

"_Oh? Like what?"_

"_Meg?"_

"…_..Y-Yes, sir?"_

"_Can you teach me how to make a pie?"_

Vanellope looked over towards the kitchen, the book still on the counter "Is that how you got that cookbook?"

"Yeah. It belonged to Meg….It was one of her favorites." The Nicelander smiled "She's such a sweetie-pie, the poor thing. But she came through for me. It took us a few tries but I managed to get a pie out that wouldn't kill Felix."

The two could hear a hint of pride in Don's voice. He was glad he had finally done something that made him feel like he helped out in the game.

Even more so, he was glad that he proved that he was more than just his backstory. Had he stuck to it, he would have believed he couldn't bake, that he could never make a pie to make Felix smile.

But he did one thing; he asked. He asked for help and in doing so, he found he COULD be more than just a silly little joke. He found that his fellow Nicelanders would help him, a he had helped them.

"A lot of work over pie…." Said Vanellope "But I guess it is more than just pie."

"It taste good but it taste better knowing that someone made it with heart." The Nicelander sighed "I just wish it hadn't all gotten us into such a heap of trouble."

"I understand what you're saying, Don." Said Ralph "Boy, do I understand it now…"

"Thirty years might be too late for an apology, Ralph." The Nicelander said "But that's really all I can offer to you. I….I don't have much and I can't do much."

"You've already done this." The wrecker said "Sir, if you really didn't care I don't think you would have agreed to this. You could have said no to the pie baking, you could have turned me away again. But you didn't."

"I ignored the wrong things. I should have igonred that Turbo told us and paid more attention to you, I guess."

"Don't feel as if you are the only one who's gotten roped in by his words." Ralph said, his heart feeling heavy "He got me too, an' that was BEFORE he donned the disguise."

Vanellope looked at both men, sensing regret from BOTH of them.

Ralph felt regret knowing that so many things were happening right under his nose.

Don felt regret for allowing himself to believe the words about Bad Guys said around the arcade, despite his attempts to think otherwise.

Everyone was tied up in knots, and the girl knew it would be best to untie them all before everyone became twisted.

"Mr. Don?" Vanellope said "From what Felix has been goin' on an' on about tha lot of ya, he doesn't think any of ya are useless!"

The Nicelander chuckled "That boy always has something nice to say about EVERYONE. It doesn't matter who you are."

"Then shouldn't that be all that matters?" Vanellope replied "Felix is more important than any of those hateful things said about ya guys!"

"It would have been a fine thing to have someone like you say that back then." The Nicelander said "But I guess we were just surrounded. It's not easy being a Nicelander when everyone else around you has more than enough means to smack you bout."

Considering what had happened in the station with Meg, Vanellope believed it.

"Ya seem like a tough guy though! I can tell!" the girl beamed "Show 'em a thing or two, NICELANDER STYLE!"

"It would be nice…." Don thought, scratching his chin but then the man stood up, posing powerfully "I'm not the BIGGEST of the Nicelanders for nothing after all!"

"There's a height difference between you guys?" Ralph asked curiously.

"You never noticed it before? Why do you think the guys are always whining to get on my shoulders? They know how to use ladders. They just like to torture me!"

"_Don, shut up!"_ Lucy called up from the vents, the man quickly kicking an ottoman in front of it.

"See? Always whining!"

"_**WE CAN STILL HEAR YA KNOW!"**_

"_Lucy, just let him be."_ Moaned Tony, his footsteps heard approaching the vent.

"_Tony, I swear-!"_

"See, dontcha feel better now? Knowing all that worry was for nothin'?" Vanellope grinned.

"Maybe a tad." The sailor said "But I still feel like I owe it to you guys to do something more. I don't want to just END it at pie."

"Tell me some more about all this stuff you have!"

"_OH GOD NO!"_

"_Lucile…"_

"I mean, did this all come from the program or did you collect it over the years?"

"_KID! DON'T GET HIM STARTED!"_

"Well….." Don said, a twinkle coming into his eyes.

Another story was coming its way!

I was well into the night as Ralph and Vanellope sat upon Don's floor, another helping of delicious pecan pie on their plates. The Nicelander stood before them, holing what looked to be a trinket from another game, the light behind him making him look like a mighty giant retelling the tale.

"And then the other captain said 'But we can't hold on! We were left in hard-mode when the players left! It won't stop till we all DIE!' And then I came in! 'Don't panic you fool! Just keep the front up, brace for the waves!'"

Vanellope winced when Don brought the item crashing into another.

"Then what happened?!"

"Well, I was thrown out of the boat and they all DIED!" the man smiled, Ralph looking up from his plate.

"Wait, WHAT?"

"But it was okay. I landed in one of their pelican's mouths and they all respawned!" the man nodded "And THAT is how I got this sea-shell!"

"I thought it was because you went to the beach and found it…." Said Vanellope "Never thought it was because of all that!"

"Say, do you want me to tell you the story I was accidentally turned into a shark?"

"COOL!"

"_Don, no please!"_ Meg wailed for down the hall "_I can never live that down!"_

"But Meggy!"

"_Don, shut up and leave Meg alone!"_

"HAW HAW HAW, Shall I tell them a story about YOU, LUCILE?" the man smirked, yelling down at the vents.

"_**I SWEAR OLD MAN! I'M GONNA SHOVE THAT HAT OF YOURS DOWN YOUR THROAT!"**_

"She's such a delightful child!"

"Wow." Ralph said, a hand on his cheek "An' here I thought that nights in Niceland were QUIET!"


	6. Chocolate Chess

Chapter Six- Chocolate Chess

"That'll be….EIGHT gold coins!"

"There ya go." Said a bespectacled Nicelander, handing the cashier the coins. A bag was returned to the man and after a friendly wave, he was on his way.

It was now the weekend and the little man was ready to get to work. Not on pies of course, but on something else.

He had made certain that his pies were ready for the work week, other ideas and plans going through his mind on how to spend his precious day off.

"_Should I finish that?"_ he said to himself _"No, no. That can wait. I have that other project I want to finish before-!"_

"Watch out!"

The Nicelander gave a shout as he crashed headlong into a troupe of mice.

"AH!"

_*Clink, clink*_

There went his glasses.

"Sorry, sorry! That was my fault!" the man said, scrambling for his glasses "I should have been paying-!"

"G-Get out of the way!"

The Nicelander looked up. His vision wasn't that bad without his spectacles but it was still inconvenient to have them gone nonetheless, the scampering characters looking a little blurry as they ran around him.

"Ah! AH, here he comes!"

"Whoa, WHOOOOA!" said the Nicelander, finally scooping up his glasses and putting a hand out to the smaller characters "What in the arcade is-!"

"Gotcha now, ya lil runts!"

The man gasped, looking up to find a rather LARGE character looking down at him.

Or maybe not?

From the way the mice were trembling, maybe HE wasn't the target.

"Tried ta be SLICK, eh?"

THEY were.

"Look, we didn't mean to get in your way!" said a pink mouse "W-We just-!"

"Didn't I tell ya guys NOT to cross tha line with us?!" growled the larger character. The Nicelander soon figured out what was going on. He scowled, stepping in front of the characters.

"Hey now, there is no need to get like that!" the man said, holding his head up "I'm sure whatever happened was just an acc-!"

"Was I TALKIN' ta ya, runt?" the creature growled, shoving the Nicelander.

"Oof!"

The Nicelander's bag tumbled from his hands, pencils and a few books spilling from it.

"Aw man, I just bought those!"

The man tried to reach out and collect his items but not a second later, the large foot of the offending character came down, breaking a few of the items under his weight.

"HEY!"

"What is it with you NPCs, gettin' all smart with us?" hissed the character, reaching down and pulling the Nicelander up by the back of his jacket. The tiny man gave a scream as his feet left the ground, the huddling mice petrified with fear.

"C'mon, this is going too far!" the Nicelander protested "Just put me down and we can all be on our merry way!"

A crowd was starting to gather around at the growing drama, people not wanting to miss a beat of what was going on.

"Too far?" chuckled the other character "Sounds like you're puttin' up a challenge, small fry! Ya want me ta throw ya or somethin'?"

Surprisingly, even in the hands of such a larger and stronger character, the Nicelander remained calm, looking right at the character.

"I can assure you that would be a waste of your time." The Nicelander said "Is it really worth getting into trouble over something so small?"

"Heh, gotta lotta spunk in ya, I'll give ya that…." Chuckled the character "But it looks like SOMEONE needs ta be reminded how things work 'round here!"

Not too far away, a familiar Wrecker and racer were making their rounds back to Niceland for another pie baking session.

"Hey, Ralph?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinkin'. With all this pie we've been makin', ya wonder if we can do anythin' MORE with that?"

Ralph looked down at Vanellope "What do ya mean?"

"Well, I've been thinkin…." The girl said, hands behind her back "Those guys make SO MANY pies day in an' day out. Have they ever, I don't know, STOPPED for a real break in all these years?"

Ralph scratched his chin "Ya know, that is somethin' I NEVER a-"

"Aw, drop it ya lil runt!"

The two stopped, the loud shout enough to make them jump a foot in the air.

"SATEN?!" asked Vanellope.

Ralph growled, his fist balling up as he looked over towards the gather crowd "No, WORSE."

The Wrecker charged through the crowd, his senses telling him a fight was on the way but as he broke through, his jaw dropped.

"Again?!"

He saw another Nicelander being held in a larger character's hands, a sight that Ralph had grown tired of seeing. He had already had to deal with an attack earlier on Meg but another one, with OTHER characters involved to boot?

"Okay, this is endin' NOW!"

"Look, this isn't worth it!" the Nicelander said, managing to slip his way from the characters hold "I mean, we were all just minding our own business here. What good will it do to mess with these guys?"

"Aren't you all hoity-toity!" the character laughed "Never thought I would see such brass from a Nicelander of all people!"

The Nicelander felt a twinge of nervousness come over him but he looked back, seeing the group of mice behind him. They still looked terrified at what was happening and even though HE knew better, there was someone around who needed much more help than him.

"I'm not going to say it again…." The small man stated, his voice clear "Just leave them alone."

The character took a step forward, sending everyone below him back "I see you're still tryin' ta tell ME what ta do. Maybe I SHOULD remind ya of your PLACE."

"An' WHAT place would THAT be?"

Such a deep, ANGRY voice.

The character looked over, Ralph standing behind him with stone-cold eyes but to the Wrecker's surprise, unlike the last bunch this character didn't back down. Not that he NEEDED to anyway; he was almost as big as Ralph and looked pump to go toe-to-toe with him at any time.

"Spare me the bleedin' heart, RALPH." The creature chuckled "Your looks nor your smell scare me."

"Oh, I'm certain of that." Ralph said with a smile, stepping closer to the creature "But I was thinkin'. All this stuff 'bout how people should stay in their place?"

Ralph moved closer, grabbing the creature by the collar of his shirt.

"If it's that important ta ya, maybe I should use ya as an example? I REALLY like puttin' BULLIES in their place!"

"Hey, HEY!"

The crowd looked over, a bright flash of light coming between the two.

Surge.

"Raaaalph, we talked about this before." The protector said, tapping his fingers on his clipboard.

The wrecker groaned. What timing; where was Surge when you REALLY needed him?

"Yeah, sir. No rough-housing in the halls."

The man nodded, turning towards the other character.

"That goes DOUBLE for you, YOUNG MAN." Surge puffed "I've gotten some complaints about you and one more strike? In-game suspension, ya hear!"

"Who had the guts to rat on ME?" the creature mocked "Once I'm done with 'em, an in-game suspension will seem like a DREAM compared to MY actions!"

The mice huddled, the Nicelander looking down at them.

"You guys okay?"

The largest of the mice nodded her head but it was obvious that they were still nervous. The Nicelander smiled, offering a hand.

"Sorry 'bout all of that but you're safe now." He chuckled "I guess NPCs have to stick together, right?"

"I-I-I guess so…" Meeped the mousey leader, pushing her team away. She looked at the Nicelander than at Ralph.

"Th-thanks guys. Every bit of help counts…."

Both men smiled, relieved to find that the troupe was at least comfortable enough to back to their game on their own. Once they were gone, the Nicelander wiped his brow, collecting his broken pencils and books off the ground.

"Man, what a day!"

"Um, excuse me? Sir?"

The Nicelander looked up, noticing Ralph and Vanellope looking down at him.

"Ralph?" the man said, as if he were familiar with the Wrecker "Oh, thanks for that buddy!"

"Er, you're welcome I guess."

"I don't know WHAT I would have done if you didn't show up."

The Nicelander looked past Ralph, Vanellope standing next to the man. He placed a finger to his temple, his mind running to remember the racer's name.

"And you aaaare-?"

"Vanellope." The racer smiled "Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

"Ah, right! Sorry about that, sometimes names escape me!" the Nicelander smiled "Are you on your way to Niceland?"

"Yeah, we were!" Ralph smiled, trying to hide the fact that he had NO idea which Nicelander he was talking to. Most of them were easy to remember considering how much NOISE they made but with others?

With some they kept to themselves; they seemed to blend in with the crowd, only speaking when spoken to. As the group headed back to Niceland however, the Nicelander proved to be very friendly, wasting no time in talking with Vanellope about various things as if they were old friends.

"Yeah, I tried racing a few times too." Said the man.

"Really? Do ya like it?"

"Just to pass the time." He smiled "I just got to go to the games where the carts are small enough for me to drive. It's no fun trying to steer while you're in a booster seat!"

Vanellope laughed at the thought. At least some Nicelanders had enough humor to laugh at themselves.

"Ralph?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Um, aren't ya gonna introduce me to this guy?"

The Wrecker blushed deeply, caught in the act "W-well-! I do believe-!"

"Kal."

Ralph looked down, "Excuse me?"

A hand was raised towards Ralph, the Nicelander looking warmly towards him.

"My name is Nicelander Kal."

Their introductions made, the trio returned to the apartments, most of the Nicelanders gone or still inside getting ready for the weekend.

"I heard about what you and Ms. Schweetz have been doing." Kal said with a smile "Not too often we get some mains who WANT to bake with us."

"Not too many?" asked Ralph.

"Some of the Capcom folks have been through here, I'm grateful for that." Kal smiled "Sonic, Mario? Pac-Man sometimes when Gene doesn't kick him out for eating more than _**HE**_ does. Other than that? Nope."

"I've been enjoyin' it!" grinned Vanellope "All these pies, SO MANY PIES! I've been on a pie kick since this all began! I just want ta make more!"

"Don't explode on us." Chuckled Ralph "Ya know ya won't come back since this isn't your game."

Getting to his apartment, Kal smiled "Well, in that case I hope you two enjoy your next session, whoever it might be with!"

Vanellope nodded "Yeah, we're gonna see if we can finally catch up with Ms. Deanna!"

"Wait, Dee-Dee?" Kal looked in surprise "You came here for _**DEE-DEE?**_"

"Um, yeah. Is that a problem?"

Kal gave both characters surprised looks, as if he knew something they did not.

"Knock on the door…" the man pointed "Betcha she's not there."

Ralph arched a brow as he moved over a yard or two towards the ruby-colored Nicelander's apartment.

*Knock*

No answer.

*Knock knock*

Again, nothing.

*Knock knock knock*

Three times the charm…..and SILENCE.

"Wow…." Vanellope blinked "Um, does Ms. Deanna really EXIST or did we dream her up?"

"She's just….well, she's Dee-Dee." Said Kal "She's nice and all but….yeah. I can't really explain any further than that."

What in the arcade was going on? This had been the second time Deanna had missed out on her pie session but it wasn't as if she had vanished. During the work hours, Ralph had SEEN the woman alongside the others but as soon as everything was tidied up after the all clear, POOF! She was gone.

Was she avoiding them?

Or was there something ELSE going on.

Ralph wanted to know what was really happening but how could he without any clues? Deanna was like a cat, slinking her way out of something without anyone knowing she was there.

"So, another dud?" sighed Vanellope "Man, I was hopin' it wouldn't-!"

"Well, if you guys want…."

The two looked over, Kal opening the door to his apartment.

"I can move my day up to now." The Nicelander said with a small smile "I mean, if you'd like to."

Ralph looked over at Vanellope. Why deny an invitation to make more pie?

"Hmmm, we MIGHT be able to squeeze ya in." the girl said with a smirk.

Not a moment later, Ralph and Vanellope found themselves in Kal's room and just like the other's it was a new chance to explore what really went on inside the Nicelander apartments. Kal's room was just as busy as his neighbors but the room was lit rather oddly, the mahogany walls giving off a warm feel, the two surrounded by books, paintings and figures and statues.

"Whooooooa…." the girl said as she glitched over to a shelf, looking at a sitting figure, posed in a graceful stance "How cool are these?"

"Careful now, kiddo. I'm still working on that one."

"Oh, of course!" Vanellope meeped, quickly moving the stature back onto the shelf. She stopped, her mind catching up with her "Wait, YOU made that?"

"Well, MOST of them." Kal said, looking through his kitchen for ingredients "Some of the others were already here but the ones that look half-finished?"

The man stood, laughing to himself.

"Yeah, those are my 'projects'. I've just been so busy, I haven't had time to do anything with them."

"There are so many of 'em here!" Vanellope said in awe, twirling on her feet "An' ya made 'em all?"

"MOST of them, remember?" smiled Kal "Some of them were 'bought' and 'given' to me by parents, if you call some people who only exist in photos 'PARENTS'."

The Nicelander walked next to Vanellope taking a photo off the shelf. There was a comfy feeling seeing the photo, even if it only was there to represent a written concept, not people who were actually in the game.

"That ya?" Vanellope smiled, looking at the young Nicelander standing with his parents.

"Yup." Nodded the man "Makes me wish they were here though. I mean, once you break everything down, the apartments are kind of empty, there are only so many of us here."

"It's kinda like our parents back in my own game…." Said Vanellope "There's evidence of 'em there, but-"

The girl stopped; she had never seen a picture of her own parents. She had never seen pictures of the OTHER racers' parents. As she had stated, there was evidence that they had existed but no one had seen their faces.

No one could remember their faces.

_Was something still missing? Was the reset fully complete yet?_

"Nelly?"

The girl looked back, Ralph giving her a worried glance.

"Ya didn't blank out on us there, did ya?"

The girl smiled, waving a hand "Eh, there's nothin' ta worry about with me, Stink Breath! Let's get our pie on!"

"Do you want to join us, Ralph?" asked Kal.

"What? Of course! Why would ya ask somethin' like that?"

"Eh, it didn't occur to me before it was too late…." Kal laughed nervously "My pie? Eeeeh, ya might not like it."

"How can ya say somethin' like that BEFORE we even start workin'?" Ralph smiled.

"It's chocolate."

**CHOCOLATE.**

Kal must have remembered. In fact, Ralph was SURPRISED that he had remembered.

_That party, that terrible party._

Ralph had let the others know his dislike for the sweet but he never thought that any of the Nicelanders would remember it after that. Granted, he couldn't even remember KAL'S name but there was only so much people could remember at once!

"What's this about you an' chocolate?" asked Vanellope.

"Er, I MIGHT have had a slight…AVERSION for it a while back…."

Vanellope gasped, an offended look on her face.

"**BLASPHEMY**!"

Ralph threw back his head and laughed "Kid, give me a break!"

"**CHOCOLATE**….is _**LIFE.**_" Vanellope began, her tone getting serious and her eyes dark "**CHOCOLATE**…is _**HEAVEN!**_"

"I said I liked it when we landed in it!" Ralph mewled.

Vanellope twirled around, hands clutching her aching heart. She then kneeled onto the floor, her tiny fingers digging into the carpet.

"_You….__**HATED**__ chocolate?_" she wept fake tears "Ya might as well say ya hate my land, my friends, my family, MY LIFE!"

The wrecker scratched his ear, not at all moved "Blu-blu-blu-blu-HOO. Hokey tears."

"We come all this way, all this way ta bake an' I learn this HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE secrete about ya! WHO ARE YA?! I DON'T EVEN WHAT TA THINK OF YA ANYMORE, RALPH! IF THAT IS YOUR NAME!"

"Gah, VANELLOPE!" Ralph growled "I LIKE chocolate now! What, do ya want me to eat an entire CHOCOLATE HOUSE ta prove it?!"

"Could ya?" Vanellope beamed, all pain and sadness gone in an instant "That would be pretty cool after all!"

Kal laughed, finding it comforting that the two were enjoying themselves "So, does that mean I CAN make my pie?"

"Yes, please do!" beamed Vanellope, eyes twinkling "I absolutely LOVE chocolate so bring it my way! I'll eat it all!"

"Well, maybe one or TWO slices will do ya good…." Kal said, heading over to the kitchen "But we're talking CHOCOLATE CHESS here! It's Chocolate-Zilla. This stuff is SUPER rich and SUPER sweet, I doubt even YOU can take that much of it!"

"What? Is it like some magic pie or somethin' if it's THAT potent?" the girl smirked.

"Okay, I warned ya…." Kal smiled "But don't come cryin' ta me when ya come off your buzz an' hit tha arcade pavement harder than a two ton weight!"

The little racer rubbed her hands together; THIS was going to be good.

It didn't take long for Kal to gather up the ingredients for the pie, Vanellope looking more and more excited by the moment as everything was laid out before her.

"Okay, we have the sugar, we have that….can't forget THIS." Kal mumbled to himself.

"So, CHOCOLATE." Ralph butted in "Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…."

"An' it's gonna be aaaall MINE since you're too rude ta enjoy it!" cackled Vanellope.

"I am NOT bein' rude!" scoffed Ralph "Fact of tha matter, I betcha I'll savor this MORE than ya! You'll have ta take down your own mantle of lovin' chocolate in this arcade! I'll be the KING of chocolate!"

"You're already king!" laughed the racer "King of the Flat Butts!"

"Oh, now ya talk about my butt?!"

"It's big enough! How can you not?"

"Don't make me bake YOU into a p-!"

"Uh, guys?"

The two turned, Kal giving them a worried smile.

"Um….ya sure ya need my help on this one? Ya seem ta have this in your own hands…."

"Sorry 'bout that Mr. Kal." said Vanellope, making way for the Nicelander to join them "Guess we got a lil carried away."

"It's fine." The man smiled, going right to work "When it comes to pie, we all tend to get a little carried away."

"So I've heard." Said Ralph "I just hafta say, I'm still so shocked that ya guys do all this extra work."

"What's a lil extra work when it makes someone happy?" smiled Kal "I remember….I mean, 'remember' is kind of a stretch when it comes to this. But I 'remember' what my parents used to tell me."

"Yeah?" asked Vanellope curiously "What?"

"Sometimes it's that little extra, even if it's a tiny amount, no matter how small you think it is, that can make a BIG difference." The Nicelander sighed "I know it takes a lot more time, since we have to make all of these pies in advance and all, but still. I'd rather give THESE out to Felix than some….STUFF."

"Makes me wonder just how bad the pies were…." Shuddered Vanellope.

"Ask Felix or Gene to get you one then."

"How?"

"Well, they know how to bring them out." Said Kal, thinking for a moment "I think…..yeah. Yeah! They both know how to do it, given their roles in the game and all!"

"Sorry, but we'll pass." Said Ralph "I think words alone have been enough to put a bad taste in my mouth about those things. THIS however? I can see why Felix is more excited over pies than medals!"

"Yes….." Kal said, his voice filled with guilt _"Pies and medals…."_

A bit of silence filled the air as the group continued to cook but Kal seemed to slow down. At Ralph's mention of medals, something seemed to strike a chord with the Nicelander and by his reaction, it was a very bad one.

Ralph and Vanellope KNEW that look by now.

"Er, sorry about what happened back in the station." Said Vanellope.

"Why would you be sorry about it?" asked Kal "YOU weren't the one who started the fight."

"I know, but it's still jerky what that guy did to ya an' those mice!" the girl scowled "It wouldn't have been a fair fight, no matter which way ya slice it!"

A look of confidence came upon the Nicelanders face as he continued cooking "I've handled guys like him before. Besides, there are always smaller guys in the arcade so I can't say that I have the worst luck here at all."

"That still doesn't mean ya hafta take that though!" said Vanellope "He was WRONG for pickin' on people, I just wish I-!"

"Kiddo, don't worry about me! I can take it!" Replied the Nicelander "I've gotten a few bumps and bruises over the years so what's a few more? Plus…"

"Plus?" Ralph asked.

"Plus, I just have to learn how to stand up better for myself I guess." The Nicelander said in a nervous voice "I mean….I mean most of the stuff that happened here wouldn't have even transpired had we all-"

Kal began breaking the baking chocolate into tiny pieces, putting it in the saucepan "I know I can't fight. I was never INTENDED to fight and I don't believe in those types of confrontations ANYWAY. That's not who I am. I just have to learn how to take care of myself and the others better so we don't HAVE to turn to Felix all the time."

Vanellope poured the cream into the pan "Ya could have fooled me! Ya seemed ta be holdin' well for those mice back there!"

"I couldn't just run away." Kal began "But what more could I have done? I already KNOW what it feels like to be underfoot to someone else and I know I can't do anything to fight someone who is nearly two stories taller than me."

"At least ya did somethin'." Said Ralph "That's better than just turning away."

The chocolate slowly melted in the pan, Kal watching on with guilt "You say that as if I haven't been doing that to you all these years, Ralph."

"W-well…." The big man stammered "I've just been thinkin'…"

"Wait, it's about to burn." Kal interrupted, lifting up the pot of bubbling chocolate and pouring the mix into Vanellope's mixing bowl.

"Okay, just put some vanilla in it."

"On it!"

"Look Kal, all this time talkin' ta ya guys…" Ralph began "It's just got me thinkin'. It got me thinkin' 'bout how much we had in common."

The smaller man was a little surprised to hear Ralph say such things "How so?"

"I just kinda thought that ya guys were always so happy an' content here. In tha arcade I mean."

"Yeees?"

"I never realized how things were once EVERYONE stepped OUTSIDE tha game." Ralph continued "I hated bein' alone out there in the brick pile…."

From the corner of his eye, Ralph could see the Nicelander glance off to the side, looking even more shameful than he had before.

"But if I had been in tha apartments back then, I guess it still wouldn't have been all tha pie an' sunshine perfection I thought it would be."

"It would have been better."

"If it really was 'better'…." Said Ralph, his brows furrowing as he thought "Then NONE of us would have so many problems just tryin' ta walk through from one game ta tha next, don't ya think?"

Kal stopped kneading the dough, Ralph's words hitting him. Vanellope paused as well, looking at both men. The Nicelander removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I-I get what you're saying big fella. I guess." The man said "I'm just caught."

"Between a rock an' a hard place?" Vanellope smirked, trying to put a smile on the man's face.

"More like between a crushing wall and a spiked, snake pit. With electric walls."

"Ooooh, NASTY."

"I know that I went along with everyone all these years, and I want to change from that." Kal continued  
"I just find it so frustrating to do so when the same people who more or less pushed us around for YEARS are still on our backs and acting as if they have even more right to push us around now. They know we can't fight back, so that's why they keep coming and it's not like we can IGNORE them. They more or less tower over us! It's all because-!"

"Because of what?" Vanellope asked in curiosity.

The Nicelander tapped his lip, his eyes lighting up.

"DUH!" he smiled "Why didn't I think of doing this before?"

"Eh, what?" asked Ralph.

Kal finished working on the pie crust, molding the sides into perfectly shaped shell-edges "Pour the filling in and I'll show you guys EXACTLY how things used to work here!"

"How?" Vanellope asked, carefully pouring the chocolaty goodness into the dough "Ya got some movies or somethin'?"

"Mmm, not exactly." Kal said as he took the pie and slid it into the oven "But hopefully, it's just as entertaining!"

Kal then walked into his living room, signaling the two to follow.

"C'mon, don't be shy!"

The two friends looked at each other, wondering just what in the arcade Kal had planned for them. They followed, the Nicelander taking a seat at a large drawing table. Vanellope looked around, so many sketches and pictures surrounding her.

"I think I can see where this is goin'…."

Kal sharpened a pencil, a slight grin on his face "Sometimes, PICTURES speak louder than WORDS."

The man leaned forward on his table, starting the sketch. First a circle, then some lines. Vanellope and Ralph watched, the simple shapes transforming before their eyes, what was once just lines and circles suddenly turning into….

"Felix?"

Yes, it was Felix that Kal had drawn on the paper, the repairman looking just as bright and cheerful as he always had. Kal finished the outside lines, making the man more clear.

"Yup." Said the Nicelander, drawing another circle next to the repairman but as the two behind him looked closer, this figure was a lot smaller.

A LOT smaller.

Rounder, chubbier.

A Nicelander?

Seeing it for themselves on paper made the two realize just how much smaller they were to the repairman.

"It started out nice enough…." Kal began, illustrating his words "We were all plugged in and life seemed fun enough. No one bothered us those first few days…."

Kal drew another figure of Felix onto the paper, some more Nicelanders aside them but this time, a LARGER figure was drawn beside them.

Ralph took notice of the large chest, the square build.

Kal….was drawing HIM.

And to Ralph's surprise, the Nicelander's rendition of the wrecker was NOT in malcontent. Ralph did not look mean, he did not look angry, he did not look monstrous. In fact, he looked just as cartoony and silly as everyone else in the picture.

Ralph looked like HIMSELF.

Vanellope looked closer, finding herself pulled in the more al drew. The closer she looked, the more the drawings felt as if they were coming alive, as if they were actually moving before her.

"_Coool!"_

"This was our 'family'." Said Kal "This was the way we THOUGHT things were going to be. We thought that all we had to worry about was making sure we did our job right and the occasional brick nailing us in the face from time to time."

"Did I ever get ya?" asked Ralph sheepishly.

Kal the drew a picture of himself getting hit in the face with a brick but even so, he laughed at himself.

"One or two times, maybe. Where do you think I learned to dodge?"

The page was then turned, fingers and pencil speeding away on another drawing.

"It was only after we started getting out did we get a taste of what some people thought about NPCs…."

A large, unknown creature was then constructed on the paper but unlike Ralph, THIS figure did not seem so friendly. Kal drew Felix and a few Nicelanders below the figure, their tiny size very apparent next to him.

"People knew how to play face when Felix was around." Kal narrated "Felix was a GOOD GUY and you ALWAYS have to behave in front of a good guy, RIGHT?"

Vanellope knew EXACTLY what this was leading to "But as soon as he was gone?"

The Nicelander then drew the creature tossing a few Nicelanders around, several of them running away.

"And hence came forth the term 'Walking Footballs'." Huffed Kal "Well, among 'Walking Thumbs', 'Walking Eggs', 'Lil Baby People', whatever floated their boats."

More characters were drawn, some that looked very familiar to Ralph.

"Hey, aren't those Pookas?"

"YUUUP."said Kal "I told you WE weren't the only ones who were messed with. Back then, it was a free-for all if you're three feet tall or less."

Vanellope glitched in fear "Th-three feet all or LESS? Ah-ahah. I guess _**I'M**_ part of that club too…."

"They would have gone easy on YOU." Kal said, drawing Vanellope in her princess dress "After all, you have THREE things going for you."

"I DO?" the girl said in surprise.

"One, you're a MAIN character. Two, you're a PRINCESS. And THREE? DON'T. MESS. WITH. KIDS."

"Well, at least there is some decency here." Ralph said, looking none-to-pleased "Still doesn't make anythin' they did RIGHT though! Why would people do this ta ya?"

"Because they COULD…." Kal continued "Because they could and they didn't care. Besides, it's not like it was just Bad Guys who did this. It was Good Guys as well."

"Good Guys like FELIX?!" Vanellope said, stunned.

"NO, because Felix actually cared for people."

"I know what you're talkin' about…." Ralph said "Ya mean those Good Guys who think they're top notch but don't lift a finger unless some quarters are chucked into tha machine."

"Bingo." Kal said, pointing over to Ralph "You can guess they didn't treat their own NPCs much better."

As Ralph looked down at the paper, it was becoming even clearer as to why the Nicelanders and various other characters were scared of Bad Guys. If people were abusing their power like THIS….

The man clenched his fist, a bit of anger rising up.

"Why? Why would they do this?" the man growled "All they did was spread around that Bad Guys ARE bad!"

"And we all fell for it…." Kal sighed "We all did."

Kal began drawing the Nicelanders again, this time the group where standing much closer to each other, looking worried and scared. A few bad guys were drawn next to them.

"Since SOME bad guys kept messing with us, we started to think that ALL bad guys were like that…."

Kal flipped the page over, quickly sketching out some drawings of Felix doing various things.

"But Felix? Felix was our HERO." Kal continued "He fixed our things when they broke, he patched us up when we were HURT but most importantly? He did this even AFTER the games were over. Once the ids left, he didn't just push us aside or go off. He saw us as FAMILY, he saw us as PEOPLE. That's all we ever wanted was to be seen as PEOPLE and not background props."

Ralph gulped "An'….an' that's why ya looked up to him."

"After so many people?" Kal said "It was wonderful to come home to a person who called us by our NAMES, who recognized that we could do other things than bake pies. Someone who wanted to be with us, someone who didn't see less of us because of our own roles."

Felix was drawn again but this time around, the little repairman looked LESS than pleased. Two figures were drawn behind him, Ralph quickly recognizing the pill-shape hat and the inscribed cardigan.

_Gene and Mary?_

Something had happened. Something that no one had yet to tell him about but whatever had taken place, it had caused Felix to break out of his usual happy-go-lucky mood. Even when Felix was captured by King Candy, Ralph had never seen him in such a state of anger.

Whatever had happened, it must have been big.

"I don't know the entire story, I wasn't there…." Kal said "But it sort of sealed the minds of a lot of us."

"What could someone have POSSIBLY said ta make Felix THIS upset?" Vanellope asked in worry.

"As I said kid, I wasn't there….." Kal said, fingers nervously drumming on the table "I just know, after that. A lot of things changed."

Ralph stopped again, his heart skipping a beat. Felix's anger? Gene and Mary looking so upset? A terrible incident?

_It couldn't have been. It couldn't have been THAT night._

Ralph's hands shook as he looked down at the picture, the memories of many years flooding back to him. He then began to realize WHY the Nicelanders had kept so hush towards him and Vanellope over certain things and it was because it was that night.

The night that EVERYONE in Fix-it-Felix Jr. was BROKEN.

"I-I just don't understand…." Vanellope said "Who could have made Felix so angry?"

Kal said nothing, going back to his drawing.

Lines, circles, shading. A figure began to appear.

A familiar jumpsuit, a familiar helmet. Vanellope's eyes widened as the face became more and more clear.

That glint, that sneer, those teeth.

"T-Turbo?!"

Turbo, indeed.

Kal finished the sketch, looking down at the figure in ire.

"Turbo…." The man said, his voice low "The one and only."

By now, both Wrecker and racer were familiar with the tales the other Nicelanders had told him about their encounters with Turbo. All this time, Ralph had thought that the Nicelanders looked towards Turbo as being one of the 'Good Guys', someone they would always speak of favorably but as his memories came back to him he realized something.

The Nicelanders had NEVER spoken of Turbo in a manner of praise.

Considering all the encounters the group had had with him, it was beginning to make sense WHY such words of heroics about the racers never came. He had always gone after them as well. What in the arcade could have POSSIBLY made him believe that they would want to be around someone who saw them as laughing-stocks?

"I can't believe he was still here the entire time….." Kal murmured, concentrating on his drawing "We thought he bit the dust during the whole Road Blasters things but to find out he was still here all this time? That he had jacked ANOTHER game? It makes so much sense that Mary was weary of that phony."

"Wait, Mary KNEW?!" Ralph said in surprise "She knew that King Cany was-?!"

"She didn't KNOW, but she had a FEELING, a feeling that something was WRONG." Kal said "As sweet as she is, even Mary was pushed to her limit with Turbo and when she saw King Candy for the first time, she told us to-"

Kal shook his head, moaning.

"Ungh, I feeling even DUMBER for not seeing it the first time!"

"Don't feel like that." Said Ralph "Even I didn't know. NO ONE knew."

"Heck! Even I wouldn't have been able to figure it out!" Vanellope said "He had ALL of our minds warped after all!"

"Kal, tell me the truth." Ralph said "What did Turbo do to you guys? What did Turbo do to ALL NPCs?"

"Does it really matter now, Ralph? He's gone so-!"

"YES, it does matter!" Ralph bellowed, nearly causing Kal to fall out of his seat "We've been here for THIRTY YEARS, Kal! Tha same guy who took over Vanellope's game treated YOU guys like GARBAGE an' ya think it doesn't MATTER?! WHY!?"

"Because we're NPCs, Ralph!" Kal shouted, much to his own surprise "Did you REALLY think for a second that ANYONE would care about the woes some Nicelanders go through? No one did in the PAST and they won't now, ESPECIALLY after what we-!"

"Kal, I've talked with so many of ya…." Ralph cut in, kneeling down "I just want ta know what REALLY happened. I WANT ta listen ta what ya say, I WANT ta hear YOUR side. In YOUR words, not someone else's. "

Kal tapped the table again, an obvious sign that he was simply astonished to what Ralph had said to him. He could not deny it himself that he was TERRIFIED of Ralph years ago, scared with the others into thinking that as a BAD GUY Ralph would treat them just as badly as so many others had.

But Ralph had proven him wrong.

A bad guy doesn't make one BAD.

Ralph was willing to listen, he WANTED to listen.

Or better yet, he wanted to LOOK.

Kal sighed, returning to his work "Fine. I'll tell you what I CAN, but nothing more than THAT."

The Nicelander began drawing again, his figure showing up on the paper along with Ralph, Felix, Turbo and a few others.

"Turbo arrived a while before us so he had PLENTY of time to stake his claim when it came to being Mr. Top-Shelf here." Kal said "He had the ears of so many people, good guys and bad guys. Those who wanted to be in with the 'IT' scene, you went to Turbo. The most POPULAR game in the arcade."

Another sketch was drawn, this time of Turbo trying to shake hands with Felix.

"Being new here, Turbo figured he'd be able to sweep Felix into his fold EASILY. You know how Felix wants EVERYONE to be happy. I guess that Turbo figured that if Felix were that trusting, were that naïve, then he could get him to follow him ANYWHERE."

"But I can guess…" Vanellope said "That Felix said no?"

"He didn't buy it." Kal nodded "I don't know what happened on FELIX'S side of things but what I do know is that after a while, Felix started SCOLDING Turbo over his behavior."

"Felix stood up against Turbo?" Ralph blinked.

"Many times. Felix didn't like the way he was treating others and he ESPECIALLY didn't care for the way some good and bad guys were mirroring his behavior. The guy had a formidable posse on his hands and they would knock ANYONE around how they felt got in their way."

"Y-You guys too?"

"I don't know why people went after US so much back then…." Kal said in a huff "I don't know, maybe because we DO look like walking eggs or something?"

"Funny lookin' or not, what right did Turbo have treatin' ANYONE like that?!" Vanellope growled.

"When you have a lot of power, or THINK you do, you get a sense you can do ANYTHING. ESPECIALLY towards those you know cannot fight back." The Nicelander said "Do you think Turbo would have said ANYTHING to us had we been Felix's size? Had we actually been higher up the gaming ladder? He was well aware how easy it was to mess with us, to scare us, to sway us into thinking things based on HIS views. That's what you can do when the power is in YOUR hands."

And it was at that moment Vanellope felt as if the floor beneath her had fallen through.

**POWER.**

Turbo wanted power from the very start and he would do anything to ANYONE to ensure he got it.

The way he treated Nicelanders and other NPCs. The way he had gone after Road Blasters when they arrived at the arcade. Sugar Rush's take over, her near deletion.

Turbo had done so much, so much to so many people yet even in his demise, the toxicity of his influence was still around.

_And not too long ago, she was slowly going down that path._

She had slipped when she let the rumor take over her thoughts, she had slipped when she was sure that taking revenge was the best way to go about.

She was just becoming a cog of a thought that Turbo had put inside many so long ago.

Another thought hit her, this one feeling even worse.

What if Turbo had missed Sugar Rush? What if someone else had gotten picked instead?

Vanellope would have lay witness to it from the outside and she wouldn't have had a single clue as to what was going on. She would have thought everything was in line with the King, that he was only doing his job.

It was terrifying to think. It was terrifying to know that whatever side she would have been on, Turbo would have played her and everyone else like a harp and even worse?

_What if he had tried to rope her along WITH his ideals?_

She was a main character after all, the ruler of the game, someone the others were supposed to look up to. Would she have been able to say no to him or would she have been like so many others who had been enticed by his sweet words, his slick grin?

He could have molded her, told her that as Princes she was better than everyone, better than her own NPCs, better than the other racers, better than so many.

That could have happened. He could have gotten her into his little gang, going about treating so many people…

_The way she had been treated when she was a GLITCH._

Vanellope had fallen hard for a rumor started at Tapper's, a rumor to do such rotten things, so it was very much possible. With the right words, the right tone, Turbo would have gotten her to.

_And WITHOUT memory interference to boot._

"I can speak from experience…." Ralph said "My times with Turbo weren't any better."

"Was ANY time with Turbo good?" the Nicelander said.

"He knew where ta get me." Said the wrecker, his nose wrinkling "I guess I was just that easy to read. He KNEW I hated bein' a bad guy so he played that ta his advantage. Tryin' ta get me ta-!"

Ralph stopped, holding his tongue. Vanellope and Kal looked on, confused by the man's sudden actions.

"Ralph?"

EVERYTHING was starting to come back together, so much so that Ralph just couldn't confess it, not at that moment anyway. He felt guilty trying to pry so much information from Kal knowing full well he just couldn't expose his own.

But it was right there in front of him, the reason for so much anger and loneliness over so long looking him right in the face. All this time, Ralph and the Nicelanders had a common catalyst for what caused them to turn, for what shaped them into the people they eventually turned out to be.

The wrecker was starting to understand just how important these talks were and why he SHOULD have joined Vanellope from the very start. It was more than just getting to know the Nicelanders, it was about looking back to his own past and seeing just what had been happening, just what had gone on in their home and the people who had influenced them.

"Even with all that he did. Even with everything he had said to us, I still felt horrible when Turbo Time got unplugged."

"Really?" asked Vanellope "Why?"

"Because….because I didn't think that was right. Even with the things that Turbo had done, the game getting unplugged effected EVERYONE, everyone in that game who hadn't done anything to bother us, people in the game who just wanted to do what they loved to do. And because of ONE person? ONE person caused so much pain for so many and he took them down with him. How fair is that?"

Kal felt as if he were getting TOO upset, that he was letting the two know a little too much about how he felt.

"Ralph?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter how many times I kept telling myself NOT to think those things, NOT to believe what Turbo said, not to believe what GENE said….I could not stop myself from thinking that Bad guys were BAD. I couldn't."

Ralph let out a heavy breath "R-right now, I'm seein' WHY ya guys thought so."

"Please understand THIS. I know there are some things you want to know and I can tell you SOME of it….but…"

Kal bit his lip, fingers drumming on the table, eyes darting about.

"Some things….some things, I have no RIGHT to explain to you. I would go against everything I stand for and….and, I just don't want to make any else upset by exposing THEIR troubles."

THEIR?

Who else was Kal talking about? Another Nicelander? Felix? Someone else in the arcade?

"I made one promise in my life and out of everything that I have messed up, THAT is something I want to keep. I don't want to mess anything else up! I don't want to make anyone else miserable!"

Kal looked towards the ground, wringing his hands.

"_L-Like I made YOU, big guy."_

There was so much regret for what Kal and the other Nicelanders had done to the Wrecker over the years; the regret of pushing him out, of blaming him, and over believing others but the more Ralph listened, the more he began to understand.

He wanted them to see him for who he really was but he NEVER wanted them to SUFFER for it, he never wanted them to keep feeling scared or that he would hurt them but there were still so many in the arcade who were more than happy to press the Nicelanders, to 'put them in their place' as they had been for years.

That wasn't what Ralph wanted, even if it was what others tried to TELL him he wanted.

Ralph went back to what Gene had told him that night, that before there were no groups for NPCs to talk to. There were no NPC meetings to reassure them that they mattered, that they were more than just backgrounds characters.

There was no one there…..but themselves and their heroes.

Heroes like Felix.

Ralph wished that Felix would have stood up for him the same way he had done the Nicelanders but if anything, it was starting to make it so clear as to WHY the group loved Felix was much as they did.

It wasn't about Felix's 'role'. Felix could have just ridden on being a hero. He could have just taken the glory, the fame, the medals.

But Felix had actually taken ACTION.

Felix actually helped other people, he pushed back the groups when they got rowdy. He was there for the smaller characters when no one else would even blink an eye. He was ALWAYS there to help, he would never turn a person away when they asked.

"I'm glad you came here." Said Kal.

Ralph looked down "Excuse me?"

"I said, I'm glad you deiced to come and bake with me."

"It's not a problem!" smiled Vanellope "I'm starting to like hanging out with ya guys! Though some of the places here could use a touch'a color, no offense!"

"Not at all taken." Smiled Kal "I'm just glad you're not mad at us. We do have SOME people here that enjoy our company but it's just so refreshing to know there is someone here that doesn't want to use us as dodge balls."

"HATING people takes too much energy an' I don't have time for that, Mr. Kal!" the girl smiled "'Sides, if HALF tha people who messed with ya stopped for a second, they wouldn't miss tha GOOD that comes outta ya!"

"You're gonna say PIE, aren't ya?"

"An' why not?" the girl chortled "Ya should be PROUD of this pie! It's some of tha yummiest on this side of tha arcade!"

"You're bein' too nice, now."

"No, I'm bein' SERIOUS!" the girl smiled "Plus, ya made all of this? How do ya find tha time ta bake all these pies an' draw?!"

"I really don't." said Kal, walking over to the stove as the timer went off "See, I guess if we let the game 'make' the pies the way we're supposed to, I WOULD have more time to draw and make what I want all the time but baking so many pies a day can take off so much time. I mean, I _**DID**_ agree to bake after all."

"Ya mean ya went along with tha plan? Even if it meant losin' time ta do what ya wanted?" asked Vanellope.

Kal put on his oven mitts "Yes, yes I did. I thought Felix deserved better after all he had done for us, what he had done for Ma-"

The man shut himself up, nearly letting fly something he had promised not to say.

"What he done for ME. I meant ME." He corrected himself "And anyway…..I thought I was done drawing by then. Turbo and the lot of guys had just taken away my spark by that time. I figured I would have PLENTY of time to bake since drawing didn't mean anything to me anymore."

"But you still draw." Said Vanellope "What made you get back to it?"

"I can't deny what I love, can I?" the man smiled, checking the pie "That and Felix told me…."

Felix. He always had something nice, something wonderful to say to so many people.

"Felix just reminded me that I shouldn't give up what I love doing because of a few people. That even if I was an NPC, I had more to me than just handing out pies and being saved from Ralph."

Kal took the pie out of the oven, the entire apartment filled with a delectable, chocolaty sent. Everything was baked PERFECTLY, the golden crust even, the center filling glistening.

"_O-Oh my gobs."_

"Don't dig into it just yet, it has to set for a moment or two or it'll just run everywhere."

"Sir, I will DRINK THAT WITH A STRAW if I have to!" declared the girl "I want me some CHOCOLATE!"

"Don't take it all!" quipped Ralph.

"Oh, this comin' from the guy who HATES chocolate remember?"

"I told ya before, I LIKE chocolate now! I really do!"

"I still call dibs on it so, NYEH!"

"Heh, if I knew there was going to be a fight over this pie, maybe I should have made more." Kal said calmly, setting the pie on the table "But you two are free to come by and ask for more if you want."

"REALLY?!" Vanellope said in shock.

"Sure, why not? We always try to share pie with those who like it and if you enjoy it that much, I would be happy to make you more!"

"Sir, that is AWESOME!" said Vanellope but Ralph pulled the girl off the ground, setting her in a chair.

"Now c'mon, an' give tha guy a break, Nelly! He already has enough work ta do as it is! He doesn't need anyone else beggin' him for more pie! Need I remind ya, YOU LIVE IN A WORLD MADE OF SWEETS."

Vanellope gave Ralph a faux frown, her tiny hands clenched "B-b-but, I LIKE Nicelander pie now! We don't have it in Sugar Rush!"

"Really Ralph, it's no problem." Smiled the man "If you two want some more…."

"But there's gotta be somethin' we can offer in return." Said Ralph rubbing his chin.

"In return?" the Nicelander asked, looking a tad confused.

"Yeah, I mean ya bake day in an' day out! There's gotta be somethin' ya can do for a break or-!"

A spark went off in Ralph's mind.

The drawings, the paintings. SO many unfinished projects scattered around the apartment.

Kal did need a break.

He needed to go somewhere….somewhere exciting.

Somewhere COLORFUL.

Somewhere like…..

* * *

"So who's the new guys?" asked Taffyta, thumbing over to Kal.

"Just another guest here in Sugar Rush!" grinned Vanellope. Taffyta looked over, the small Nicelander busily engrossing himself with a large pad of paper and what seemed to be paints.

"He's been there for HOURS, Vanellope and he hasn't said a thing!"

"In his case, that's a good thing."

"How so?"

Vanellope looked over, Kal far too into his work to even notice the two girls looking at him. He looked in the turquoise sky, the cotton candy clouds floating overhead.

"_Yes, yes! I need more pink!"_

"Vanellope, what have you being doing all this time?" Taffyta asked, pulling the girl aside "First you run out after any day you DO have a race and on those you don't? You disappear all day!"

"Ya shouldn't be so worried!" assured Vanellope "I've been goin' about on business."

"What KIND of business, if ya don't mind me asking?" the strawberry racer said, a hand on her hips.

Vanellope made a little glance back over at Kal. The entire page had been drawn over with a beautiful rendition of the Sugar Rush landscape, each and every color captured perfectly in soft watercolors, almost so sweet that Vanellope was certain she'd be able to smell the candy if it were at all possible.

This was what Kal need. A place to really enjoy himself, a place where he could just be himself in peace.

The vanilla racer smiled, looking back towards the confused Taffyta.

"Just….just makin' some pies, Taffyta. Just makin' some pies."


	7. Peach and Rhubarb

Chapter Seven- Peach and Rhubarb

Taffyta had to know.

She had to know what was going on.

"It's nearing two weeks…" the girl said to herself, following Vanellope in the shadows "Two weeks of this and no full explanation!"

It had been driving Taffyta mad, seeing Vanellope going to and from the Niceland apartments with Ralph but bringing back so little information, with the exception of more and more Nicelanders visiting Sugar Rush every day or so. While Taffyta was not above having more people come and view the races, she just wanted to know what was going on between the vanilla racer and the group of people.

Only weeks before, Vanellope had declared to her friends that she hated the Nicelanders, that she didn't want anything to do with them but all of a sudden the girl was bringing them in for visits, having them tour the game, having them stay and bake and other things.

It was if Vanellope now WANTED to know the Nicelanders, as if she WANTED to have fun with them!

What had caused such a drastic change of opinion.

And it was on this night that one Taffyta Muttonfudge was determined to find out just what the hoo-haw was going on.

"_Hoo-haw, indeed…."_

As the arcade closed up, Taffyta began her mission. She saw Vanellope leave the track, Ralph waiting for her as usual. The girl followed, but made certain not to follow too close, as not wanting to arouse attention from anyone else.

Ralph and Vanellope hopped on the trolley? Taffyta did so as well, but she made sure to stay in the back, folded down between the seats and not a single person sensing her.

"_I'm just a lil piece of taffy…._" The girl whispered to herself _"No need to notice meeeee…._"

They got off? The little white-haired racer was quick to follow but she was even quicker to hide herself.

It was like some sort of pink and white mongoose; her feet were springing her this way and that.

Everyone was talking about Vanellope's glitch but they were not aware of what the OTHER racers could do.

With her mind set on one thing Taffyta continued to follow, her heart racing to see what was coming at the end. She was getting closer, Vanellope and Ralph nearing the entrance of the game but they stopped.

Taffyta flipped herself behind a nearby bench; had she been spotted? That would be rather awkward.

"_Ohh, what am I gonna tell 'em?"_ she thought "'Nice evening, GUYS. I have a complete explanation for why I was hiding behind a bench but first-!'"

"Taffyta?"

"GAH!"

The little racer felt as if she had leapt ten feet in the air as she heard the voice call out to her. She turned and looked up, Calhoun giving her a puzzled look.

"O-Oh, MA'AM!" the girl gasped, turning pale on sight.

Great, with Calhoun there she wouldn't hear the end of it. It was bad enough that a large chunk of the arcade had turned against the racers but she knew Calhoun wouldn't waste a second to lay it on her.

"May I ask what you're doin' here?" the woman said, putting her hands on her hips.

_Tell a lie or the truth? Tell a lie or the truth?_

"Er, well ya see!" Taffyta grinned, trying her best to play coy "I was just going out for the evening. Didn't want to bore myself."

"Weren't ya on tha roster?" Calhoun asked. Taffyta turned bright red.

Well, the truth was out now. Taffyta HAD won her place on the roster for the next game but skipped out as her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she instead went to investigate what was going on with Vanellope and Ralph.

But how did Calhoun know?

Had she been watching her?

Had she been watching the races?

"Got a few hours off…." Said the marine, rubbing her nose arrogantly "I hafta say, ya handle your ride like one of guys during the drivin' portion of my game!"

Was that….a COMPLIMENT? From CALHOUN of all people?

Taffyta gave the woman a puzzled look, in shock that the woman had anything nice to say to her.

_After all she had done to Vanellope._

"C'mon, ya can't tell me ya would miss a race ta sneak around like this?" the woman smiled, picking the girl up with ease. Taffyta yelped, having never been lifted off the ground so easily by someone but there was something to Calhoun's smile that made her rethink her earlier worries.

Maybe she wasn't in trouble.

"What's tha story, Strawberry?" the marine smiled "Spill it…"

* * *

"Ten dollars." said Vanellope "TEN DOLLARS that she's not here."

"I can't feel my soul leavin' my body so I already know that Dee-Dee ain't there." Ralph huffed "She's like a ghost in one of those horror movies! Ya don't see her but then all of a sudden, ya see her figure in your TV or mirror an'BOOM! DEAD."

"Makes me wonder if there's more ta her than ya guys know." Vanellope shivered "Ya sure she's not like the REAL boss or somethin'? Like she pops up at the end of the game and vows to capture your souls?"

Ralph scratched his cheek in worry "Considerin' how many times I've gotten her name wrong over the years, maybe she WANTS to collect my soul in a jar! _Place it on the mantel right next ta Centipede's, possibly Mario's or someone else…._"

"Oh, Carl! Get off it!" called a voice from down the hall. Wrecker and racer peeked around the corner, seeing two Nicelanders arguing, a few of the others surrounding them.

"Pearly, I can tell you THIS!" the male of the two said, a smirk on his face.

"_That….is Carlos._" Ralph said to Vanellope, the girl looking on.

"There is NO way, no way in the code void that you can out do me in THAT!"

"_And that…." _Ralph said, pointing to the female _"Is Pearl."_

Carlos and Pearl? Vanellope had never noticed the two but right now, they were making sure everyone in the apartment heard them. Gene rubbed his temples, clearly not in the mood to deal with the two.

"Guys, come on." The mayor moaned "I have a headache."

"Take some booze then, Genie!" smiled the one called Pearl, patting Gene atop his head.

The look on Gene's face got worse, the man just wanted to punt a few heads _**"PEARL."**_

Pearl marched right up to Carlos, poking him in the chest "I swear on my mother's grave, CAAAAR-_**LOS!**_ I can take you on, any time! ANY PLACE!"

Carlos grinned devilishly, standing on his tip-toes "Oooh, such FEISTY words, my dear. So much ferocity….but not a threat to it!"

The woman growled, getting even closer to the still smiling man "Imma rip that 'stache off your face-!"

"GUYS! STOP!" Gene shouted, pushing himself between the two and shoving them aside "You ALWAYS do this! EVERYTHING has to be some sort of competition between you two!"

"But Geeeeene!" Pearl sang "What's so bad about a little competition between two friends?"

"It's bad because it always ends up in you two creating a mess and Felix having to clean it up!" Gene huffed, trying his best to intimidate the woman.

"As if YOU'VE never caused a mess with YOUR silliness, Gene!" the female Nicelander chortled cutely, much too tickled by how Gene was pouting towards her "Need I remind you of the time you, Don, and NORWOOD tried to-?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Gene shouted, his voice getting deeper in that moment, vibrating off the walls. Vanellope moved out of the way just as a picture fell of the wall dangerously close to her head.

"_The heck-?! How can he do THAT!?"_

"_Well, FIRST."_ Ralph began _"He has to summon up the powers of SATAN, then-"_

The Nicelanders stood back from their leader, looking as if he were about to explode. Taking a breath or two, Gene adjusted his hair and tie.

"Look, I am FINE with you two having your 'cute' little competitions here. But we've had a HORRIBLE month, so if you please is there ANYWAY you can clear this up without causing the entire apartments to crumble?!"

"Yeah, that's MY job anyway!" laughed Ralph, his own laughter bouncing off the walls. The group of Nicelanders looked, Ralph standing tall and strong before the lot.

"No, keep goin'!" the man said "I wanna know what this is all about."

Pearl gave Carlos a light shove "If you must know, CARLY-!"

"_**CARLOS.**_" The man interrupted.

"CARRIE." Pearl smiled.

"_**CARLOS.**_"

"DEVIL-STACHE here thinks I there is no way I can beat his pie making record!"

"Yeah, we all know Mary has ya two losers beat ANYWAY…." Norwood sniffed, walking past the two with his pipe in his mouth, enjoying the dark looks they gave him.

"Pie record?" asked Vanellope curiously "So ya guys have pie makin' contest too?"

"Every year!" Pearl said proudly.

"_Which Mary always wins…."_ Coughed Lucy.

"ANYWAY, between us Pearl thinks she can out bake me with her silly peach pie!" scoffed Carlos, looking at his nails "Pah! PEACH pie beating out my Rhubarb? You must be joking!"

"RHUBARB?! RHUBARB?!" Pearl growled, pulling Carlos' mustache "YOU'RE the one who is joking!"

"Hmmm, this is getting interestin'!" Vanellope said, looking at the two "I knew ya guys took pie seriously but I never knew just HOW serious!"

"Oh, they take it well and beyond, kid…." Nel groaned "These two are ALWAYS competing with each other over something stupid."

Pearl posed daintily, flicking her wrist in the air "And of course, I NATURALLY come out on top!"

"Ah, excuse me? What was that?" Carlos said, a hand to his ear "I couldn't hear you Pearl over all the LIES around you!"

Pearl pointed towards the man "I was the top of my class!"

"I WAS EVEN HIGHER!"

"I won gold medals in every sport I was in!"

"So did I!"

It was like watching a tennis match between the two, neither one giving up anytime soon. Ralph and Vanellope moved their heads towards each Nicelander at every new accomplishment came out, feeling a tad scared as it went on.

"Uh, should we stop them?"

"Oh, don't worry…." Meg smiled "They're actually good friends. They just like…they just like doing this."

Perhaps an intervention were in order before something truly went off. The others could feel a whirlwind forming between the two and if things were not stopped, as Gene said the entire apartments would be destroyed!

"Peach is better!" said Pearl.

"Peaches are TERRIBLE!" said Carlos "Oooh! Look'it me! I'm sweet, sweet PERFECT PEARL! I like peaches because they're shaped like BUTTS which I AM!'

"RHUBARB isn't even a FRUIT!" roared Pearl "How can THAT be categorized a fruit pie?! And they're TOXIC anyway so-!"

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! STOP!" bellowed Gene, finally having enough of the two "Do you TWO want to spend the entire night washing up duck mess from today's game, AGAIN? I can get the scrappers and buckets if you keep on like this. "

"But Gene-!"

"Hold on!"

All turned, Vanellope stepping forward with a smile on her face.

"You two SAY you're the best of pie?" the girl smiled "Then prove it! I've seen a lotta Nicelanders with their craft but if the competition is THIS rough, I wanna see just how down an' dirty ya guys get with pie!"

"Kid! NO!" begged Roy "Please, for the love of GOD don't encourage them!"

The two Nicelanders' eyes went all a glow with excitement, moving forwards and causing Gene to fall on his face.

"You want ME to show you how fast I can bake a pie?!" beamed Pearl

"You mean, you want ME to show you how fast I can bake a pie!" said Carlos.

Suddenly, it felt like the two were TOWERING over the girl, Vanellope feeling a chill come about her.

_Maybe this was a bad idea…._

"_Oh __**LORD.**_" Gene moaned, slapping his forehead "Please give me strength…."

Mary moved in closer to the Mayor, a hand on his shoulder "Dear, do you need anything?"

"Yeah, a stiff drink…"

In a flash, Pearl GRABBED Vanellope, holding the girl above her head with surprising strength.

"I HAVE THE KID!"

"WAIT! DON'T BAKE ME!" Vanellope wailed "An-an' how can ya lift me?! I thought Nicelanders weren't that str-!"

Carlos jumped up and grabbed Ralph's hand, "I HAVE RALPH!"

Ralph blanched, looking around "FOR WHAT?!"

"Hey, what's goin' on?" asked a familiar repairman, returning with Calhoun in tow but also….

"Bwh-TAFFYTA?!" Vanellope gasped, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Taffyta smiled nervously, shrugging her shoulders "Er, I was told there would be PIE here soooo-?"

"Ah-HA! A crowd has formed!" laughed Pearl "This is getting better by the second!"

"Guys, what in tha arcade is goin' on?" asked Calhoun, looking at the Nicelanders in confusion. By now, Ralph was crying, so horribly confused as to the situation he had so unfortunately fallen into.

"Don't ask me!" the man wailed "They forced me to!"

Moments later, the group had moved themselves to the lower parts of the apartment, chairs and tables set up in front of the community kitchen. Pearl had already jumped ahead, decking Vanellope out in cooking gear and getting her trademark fruit ready.

"You think you know everything about baking the Nicelander way, huh kid?" the woman laughed "Heh, I'mma teach you just how intense it can get!"

"This all started because we bet Deanna wasn't here…." Vanellope mumbled to herself, rubbing her arms "I didn't want it to turn into this. I don't like where this going!"

"Pearl thinks she can humiliate me in front of the others?" Carlos smiled, cracking his knuckles "Heh, prepared to TASTE your defeat, Peary-Woo!"

Ralph was leaning on the wall, his head banging against it "I'm gonna DIE aren't I? I think I am."

"Okay, let me get this out of the way first…." Gene said, walking up and glaring at the two teams "PLAY. FAIR. I don't have time to deal with any of your crap so unless you want me to LOCK you out of your places tonight, don't you DARE start a fight!"

"_He's done that before?"_ Calhoun whispered to Felix _"I know about tha RALPH thing, but really?"_

"_There was this time back in ninety-one…." _Felix whispered back _"Somethin' ta do with Norwood replacin' all Gene's family photos with pictures of butts."_

"Oh, Genie!" Pearl laughed "Have some faith in us! It's not as if we're going to bust out and THROW you into the woods, now ARE WE?"

"You're givin' me an EXCEDRIN headache, Pearly." Gene gestured towards the woman, hands out the measure the amount of pain he was in "Like…this big. _**THHHHHIIIIS BIG**_."

"Gene, sit down." The pink Nicelander said, yanking Gene back onto the couch and forcefully holding him back in her arms "Everything will be here, I promise."

"_Murph…."_

Mary flicked Gene on his nose as if he were a puppy, the man grumbling again "No pouting."

Taffyta sat on the couch next to Calhoun and Felix, just as confused as everyone else "So….is this what these two have been doing all this time?"

"If so, I've been missin' a lot." smiled Calhoun "I'm puttin' my money on Pearl!"

"Tammy!" Felix smiled "What a thing ta say, especially in front of tha child! We're ADULTS! We should be settin' an example for her, not pittin' friends against FRIENDS!"

Taffyta looked over at the repairman, flipping her bangs and giving him a look.

**THE LOOK.**

"Sir? REALLY?"

Felix turned, both the racer and his fiancée looking at him. He crossed his arms, echoing the same grumpy look that Gene had on his face.

"Ya don't know Carlos! He has some skills with those rhubarbs!"

Calhoun couldn't help but burst into laughter, giving the little repairman a playful shove "I KNEW it! I KNEW IT!"

"Okay…." Gene moaned, leaning on the arm of the couch "Three, two, one. I don't give a crap, let's get this over with."

With the signal given, the two teams began!

Or better yet, Pearl and Carlos began. Ralph and Vanellope were stull caught up in the moment, feeling like deer in headlights as the crowd cheered and the Nicelanders were well on their way to preparing their pastries.

"Wait, what do I do?!" asked Vanellope "THIS ISN'T LIKE MINUET-TO-WIN-IT! SHOULD I EVEN BE HANDLIN' KNIVES LIKE THIS?!"

"Here, just hand me the peaches! I'll take care of them!" Pearl shouted, a very sharp knife pointed RIGHT at Vanellope's nose "Trust me!"

**TRUST?**

"_**UH."**_

Pearl moved the knife UP, Vanellope feeling the coolness of it brush slightly against her skin.

_That wasn't a good feeling._

"NOW!"

Vanellope screamed as she tossed the peaches in the air, Pearl leaping into the air like some short, chubby hyper-action hero before giving the lot a SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!

"HAHA!" Pearl cheered "And yet, not a drop of juice shall be lost!"

Even ducking, Vanellope felt as strong gust of wind and a flash of light but it was over in a second, the peaches falling back onto the placemat.

_But they were still whole._

"_W-What was that ab-?"_

_Slowly….slowly….slowly….._

Vanellope could hear something. It was soft, like the sound of something wet rubbing against another surface. Her eyes then focused back on the peaches. They slowly began to slide, revealing that they had been cut PERFECTLY, so much so that Pearl had managed to miss the pit and leave it clean and whole as the juicy bits of peach lay before it.

"Ha! Told you I knew what I was doing!"

Vanellope was thanking every programmer she had moved out of the way.

"_I-I think I wanna stand in the corner for tha rest of this…."_ Vanellope mumbled, inching away.

"Ralph, I need your fingers!" ordered Carlos.

"Uh, yes sir?" Ralph asked nervously.

Carlos then stuck many stalks of rhubarb between Ralph's fingers and once the wrecker remembered what Pearl had done….

"SIR! DON'T CUT OFF MY FING-!"

Too little too late.

Ralph saw the knives, he saw the glint in Carlos' eyes and before he knew what had happened-

"Stand still my friend!"

He felt the wind rushing past him, the sound of the shining blades whooshing past his ears.

_*SHING!*_

"Whoa!" gasped Taffyta, getting to her feet "Where are they going?!"

_*SHING SHING SHING!*_

"_**GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

"He's not hurt, is he?!" said Taffyta, covering her mouth. Calhoun moved closer, as if she wanted to see just how far the Nicelanders would go to make pie.

"I can't feel them!" Ralph cried out "I CAN'T FEEL MY FINGERS!"

"Ralph?"

The man turned, noticing the looks that Felix and the others were giving him. He peered down….

His fingers were fine. All ten of them were there, safe and cut free. The rhubarb on the other hand? The rhubarb had been slice and diced PERFECTLY, the tiny chunks collected in a bowl and being washed in the sink.

"Thanks!" Carlos said, taking one more look at the cut pieces of vegetable "It always helps to have another pair of hands!"

Ralph said nothing, still looking at his hands…..

***KA-BOOM***

And down he went.

"GAH! Someone get the smellin' salts!" cried Felix, Gene just looking on with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Give him thirty-seconds, he'll be up."

"Ha-ha! An advantage!" cried Pearl "Quick kid, do another distraction! You shove Carlos' head in the fridge and I'll pour the rhubarb into the garbage dis-!"

"PEARL! NO CHEATING!"

"W-wait, I'm up…." Ralph moaned, struggling to get back to his feet "D-Did I miss anything?"

"Just a few seconds, but we're glad to have you back." Said Carlos, busy away with the filling "Hand me the brown sugar!"

"E-er, right!"

"Wow, I had no idea that Nicelanders were…..quick?" Calhoun said, trying to find the most polite words she could think of, looking the group up and down.

How could Calhoun NOT be surprised how the Nicelanders moved. They were just so ROUND, so CHUBBY, tiny little feet below short little legs. They resembled EGG-SHAPED children than anything else.

As Calhoun was bearing witness, the little people were proving to be a lot swifter than she thought, able to duck and dart as they prepared their beloved dish. With the others cheering the two on, Calhoun had to take a look at Mary, trying her best to get Gene to smile.

"C'mon, it's funny…" Mary cooed, her fingers purposely squishing Gene's cheeks "Smile!"

The little man tried to free himself from the woman's hold, squealing like mouse.

"Umph! Meh-WEE!"

Mary was considered the best, the most proficient in pasties and other sweets. If Pearl and Carlos could do this, just how powerful was Mary in her own environment?

Maybe it would be SAFER to keep an eye on Mary. Who knew what SHE could do if an eye were turned away!

"Better watch out with sharp utensils 'round these guys…." The marine laughed to herself but she then got back into the game "C'mon, Pearl! Show 'em how it's done!"

Taffyta was still confused. She had thought that there were other things going on that had Vanellope so busy but had she known, maybe she would have snuck out sooner.

"This place is so weird…." The girl said, shaking her head.

"I don't get it, Ms. Pearl!" Vanellope gasped, glitching this way and that to keep up with the woman "W-why are ya so hyped up about this pie?! I-I'm sure Felix would still love it without you an' Mr. Carlos duking it out like this!"

"Oh-ho-ho, it's more than just that, sweetie." The woman smiled, finishing the inner filling for the pie "I always get such a rush, such a wonderful feeling when I bake pies like this!"

"I-I kinda got that from you all…." Panted the racer, finding herself getting dizzy. She looked over at Ralph and Carlos. The wrecker was also having some trouble keeping up with the smaller man and as Vanellope studied him, Ralph was being EXTRA precautious to make sure his fingers didn't come an INCH near any more blades.

"Ralph, can I use your hand again?" asked Carlos.

"Only if you promise I'll have it once you're done!"

What was supposed to be a simple baking session had spiraled into complete madness, Ralph and Vanellope now pitted against each other. They were thanking every programmer that their previous pie lessons were helping them in some form during the 'contest' but they still could not keep up with the Nicelander.

Pearl and Carlos were SKILLED in pie, their code was COATED in it and they were both determined to come out on top.

"Yeah, this is what I like to see…." Felix smiled. Calhoun and Taffyta looked over, noticing just how much calmer Felix was compared to everyone else.

"What do you mean, sir?" asked the strawberry racer "This is how you like to see people, how?"

The repairman looked over at the two "I just like ta see tha guys happy doin' what they love! I've been so worried that tha past few day would kinda break it out of 'em, but hey! They still have it!"

"Uh, yeah…I need ta talk ta ya, FELIX." Calhoun said, picking the man up by the collar of his shirt.

"EEP!"

Taffyta could only watch as the two left the room, the lone racer sitting in the middle of a pie-making frenzy. She leaned forward, shaking her head.

"Well…at least I'm not bored."

Once out of sight, Calhoun placed Felix back on the ground.

"C'mon, Felix…." The marine said, hands on her sides "Spill it."

Felix peered up, feeling a tad nervous by the way the taller woman was looking down at him "What?"

"You're still hidin' stuff from me…" the marine frowned, crossing her arms against her chest "Don't try ta hide it. I can see it in your eyes."

The repairman looked away, removing his hat as he ran a hand through his hair "Er, well…t all depends on _**WHAT**_ ya think I'm hidin' from ya!"

"Felix! URGH!" Calhoun growled "What is WITH this place, this _**ARCADE**_! First I run inta Strawberry Short-Stuff back there actin' weird an' now you too! Somethin's a-miss and I just wanna help, that's all!"

"What can I say, Tammy?" Felix said "There's not really much ya can do to help now. I mean, you've done enough gettin' these two ta help tha Nicelanders an' all but-!"

"I mean, aside from that Felix!" the marine said, leaning on the wall "I know I just walked into this whole scuffle here in Niceland but after hearin' what happened back in tha station a few days ago, I feel like I can do a lot more to help prevent stuff like this from happenin'!"

"Ya….ya wanna help?" Felix said, a little surprised.

"YES, I want to help!" replied Calhoun "I COULD help if I were just clued in to what actually happened!"

"Look, if it seems I'm bein' to mousey for ya with it, ya already know why!" Felix said "I didn't want ya ta get angry at ANYONE! I didn't want ya ta get angry at RALPH for jumpin' ship an' I didn't want ya getting' angry at tha Nicelanders for what they did! I'm just tired of everyone fightin'!"

Felix let out a heavy sigh, hitting the wall softly with a hand.

"I'm tired of everyone fightin'…but I couldn't even help RALPH."

Calhoun looked down at the man, noticing the worry coming over his face "Aw, c'mon now…."

"Tammy, I really don't know what ya see in me." The man began "I mean, what do I really hafta offer? I'm a 'hero' but so what? I mean, after all this time I didn't help Ralph an' if anythin', I might have PROTECTED tha Nicelander but I never really helped them break out of their fear. Had I done that, MAYBE they wouldn't have gotten so angry at Ralph an' MAYBE Ralph wouldn't have been so miserable. I was just so caught up in tryin' ta make sure EVERYONE was happy, that EVERYONE wasn't hittin' on each other or-!"

The man stopped, shaking his head in frustration.

"See? If anythin', I made all of this worse!"

Calhoun could see how upset the man was getting, reaching down towards him "_Felix…_"

"I could have stood up for Ralph, I could have stood up for the Nicelanders! I could have stood up for ALL of them! I could have but I just COULDN'T! An' what happens in tha end? The Nicelanders STILL get picked on an' Ralph still ended up in the dump."

"But ya kept goin….."

Felix looked up "What now?"

"Ya kept goin'….." Calhoun said, leaning down to the man "Ya always want ta make people happy, I can tell that. An' maybe your heart was in tha right place but your mind was so preoccupied…."

The marine could see some sadness coming upon her love's face, the man looking down shamefully.

"But if ya didn't care, if ya didn't care about anyone, why did ya help them?"

"Help who?"

"Ralph…." The marine said "When he game-jumped, who was tha only one who came ta find him?"

"I-I did…." Felix said "B-but I had to!"

"An' why did ya do it?"

"I did it because he was part of the game…"

"And?"

"An'….." Felix put his hand on his chest "An' because I was worried about him….I didn't want him ta leave. I didn't want him ta do anythin' ta hurt himself, I didn't want him ta-!"

Felix stopped himself.

HE had almost said it; the dreaded word.

Not 'Go Turbo'.

Something worse, something much more horrible.

He didn't want Ralph to DIE.

It made Felix's stomach ache at the very thought, the thought of Ralph making the wrong turn, being overwhelmed, being over-powered and that was it. He was gone, it was over.

And people wouldn't have gotten mad at Ralph.

They would have gotten mad at FELIX for not being the hero he was SUPPOSED to be.

"I don't know what I would do if ANYONE here, Ralph, tha Nicelanders, all of ya guys-! I don't know WHAT I would do if anythin' happened ta ya!"

The repairman took Calhoun's hands, squeezing them warmly.

"The Nicelanders feels useless? RALPH feels useless? After everythin' that happened, I felt useless. I couldn't help Ralph, I couldn't help them. AM I really a hero?"

Calhoun could tell by the tone in the man's voice that after so much action and drama, HE was the one in need of a break. The pie making frenzy was still going on in the other room but it seemed to fade second by second. The woman took Felix into her arms, holding him tight.

"You know what makes a hero?"

"W-What?"

"Someone who lays their life down for others. You did that. Someone who always goes out of their way to see that someone has a smile on their face. You did that, too."

"I-It just wasn't enough." Felix said, pushing Calhoun away slightly "It never was enough…"

Soft lips brushed against blushed cheeks, the marine clutching Felix closer. She didn't want to let go, thinking about how he had saved her, how he had treated her, how he saw her.

Felix didn't see Calhoun for her hard shell or her tragic backstory. He saw her for more.

He was the first person who had seen it, the first person who looked past all of that.

She loved it.

And she loved him.

"Honey, I can't believe I'M sayin' this but ya need ta have more fun." Said Calhoun, placing Felix back onto the ground "Now, let's go back out there and see which one of those Nicelanders goes on a rampage first!"

"Oh HEAVENS!" Felix gasped, hands going on his cheeks "I totally forgot about those two! They can REALLY turn it upside down it ya let 'em!"

Calhoun smirked, wanting things to go even further than before "Hmm, maybe I should up the ante!"

"Tammy, don't ya dare!" scolded Felix.

Back in the crowd, the two were surprised that MORE characters had entered the apartment, several small East Nicelanders joining in.

But the biggest surprise?

"GO VANELLOPE! GO!" shouted Taffyta "SHOW 'EM WHO CAN MAKE A PIE! YEAAAAH!"

Taffyta was up and jumping, screaming at the top of her lungs as if she were trying to cheer on her favorite team.

"All she needs is some face paint and a foam finger and she would be complete!" laughed Calhoun.

Back with Ralph and Vanellope though, they found themselves wound so tight that at any moment, either one would snap.

"D-d-did I lay tha peaches in tha pie correctly?!" Vanellope panicked.

"D-id I slice the rhubarbs right so the stems aren't on?! THOSE THINGS ARE POISONOUS!" Ralph stammered.

"OooOOOoooh, what have we here?" cackled Pearl "I think someone is about to falter, CARL."

"HA! You wish, lil lady!" the mustachioed Nicelander grinned "If anything, I BET that PEACHY pie of yours is turning to mush at this very moment!"

"IT IS?!" gasped Vanellope "BUT WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT!"

"Don't worry, dear!" Pearl said, a powerful smile on her face "It's just a bluff! Carl knows his pie is nowhere near as good as OURS!"

"But I nearly lost my HAND for it!" swayed Ralph "That thing BETTER be good!"

"So, Gene…." Calhoun leaned over, noticing the Mayor as the only one NOT enjoying what was going on "Is this a….common thing that happens here?"

Gene snorted "Most of the time, these two just carry on in their apartments. If I were in my right mind, I would have never allowed it to get this carried away!"

"Oh, ya big blueberry!" Mary twittered, leaning hard on Gene, the Mayor blushing deeply "You're enjoying this! Don't lie!"

Gene shut his eyes tight, trying to lightly swat the woman away "Nnnn, stop buggin' me, Mary."

A kiss was planted on the Mayor's forehead, Mary then turning her attention up at the marine "Don't worry about a thing, sweetie. I know Pearl and Carlos look as if they want to kill each other…."

"WOMAAAAAAN, e-_**NOUGH!**_" shouted Carlos from afar, getting into a dramatic pose "If you think you are THAT unstoppable, let us end this now!"

"Mwahahaha!" laughed Pearl "Not only shall you taste how SUPERIOR peach pie is, you shall also taste your DEFEAT!"

Mary laughed warmly again, ignoring Gene who had escaped from her hold by rolling onto the floor "They're inseparable."

"Really now?" the marine said, looking a little shocked at that fact.

"Oh yeah!" nodded Felix "Those two are pals through thick an' thin. They just like playin' off each other. Have since, well, since we were plugged in."

"So in the end, all of this will mean nothing?"

"Well, it means they can have another contest, that's for certain." Smiled the repairman "Either that, or those two knew Dee-Dee wasn't gonna be here an' they planned ta jump Ralph an' Vanellope from tha START!"

Calhoun looked down at Felix in disbelief "They did not! Ya mean ta tell me that argument we walked in on! That fight! IT WAS FAKE?!"

"They do it all tha time ta get outta doin' stuff when Gene orders them to, eh Genie?" Felix said with a wink, nudging Gene as he sat up from the floor.

"I always go too soft on them….."

*DING!*

The timer went off!

Ralph and Vanellope collapsed onto the floor!

"VANELLOPE!" gasped Taffyta, running up to her friend "Oh, GOBS! Breathe!"

"Urgh, I pass out an' no one cares?!" growled Ralph, rolling onto his stomach "Holy cow, what just happened?!"

"You two made a wonderful pie." Carlos smiled, taking his pie out of the oven.

"Y-Ya mean, we did it?" panted Vanellope, Taffyta fanning her face.

"Mm-HMM!" Pearl nodded, taking the peach pie over to the counter "See, it wasn't that bad was it?"

"I can't feel my legs…."

"Wow, they look GREAT!" beamed Felix "Heh, ya two really know how ta spice things up when it comes ta pie!"

"Thank you!" both Nicelanders said, looking rather proud of themselves.

"Hmmm, those pies do look tasty." Calhoun smiled "Mind if I try a slice?"

"Sure, go ahead!" smiled Pearl.

"Help yourselves!" followed Carlos.

"W-Wait!" whined Ralph, the poor man stuck on his stomach "My muscles are achin' from whatever ya two did ta us! Throw some pie on the floor! I'll eat it here!"

With the help of Taffyta, Vanellope managed to stand back on her feet but a minute later she fell back, Taffyta catching her on her back.

"Taffy?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're gonna hafta ROLL me back ta Sugar Rush."

"Alright." The strawberry racer said "But not before I try some pie!"

Slices were being cut for the guest, Pearl putting some on a plate for Ralph.

"Gene, take this to Ralph." The woman said "I really do think he's bushed!"

Gene took one look at Ralph, the man laying face down on the floor, moaning terribly.

"I could do that…." Gene said, eating a slice of his own pie "But I don't wanna."

"GENE."


	8. Key Lime

Chapter Seven- Key Lime

"Mmph, this is really good!" Sorcerous said as she took another bite of pie "Which one made this again?"

"Lucy." Ralph smiled "Told ya those lil guys could make one heckuva pie!"

"No codes? No automatic turn-around?" said the Cyborg "This is all done by hand?"

"Yup!" Ralph chuckled, leaning back in his chair, looking rather proud of himself "Mmmmm, an' might I add that I HAVE been takin' a few lessons here an' there with tha Butterball-Crew? So maybe…."

There was a bit if silence in the room, the Bad Anons exchanging looks. Bowser was the first to move, clearing his throat as he poured himself another cup of tea.

"Heh, what is it Big Guy?"

Ralph cracked his fingers, a catty grin still on his face "C'mon guys. Say it."

"Say….WHAT?"

"I MADE some of that pie!" Ralph grinned, pointing to himself "Can this Bad Guy cook or what? Give me some credit too!"

The others looked down at their plates; so that would explain the large assortment of pies that had been brought over for the meeting. Apparently Ralph had done more assisting to the Nicelanders to ensure every bad guy would have a bite.

But then some snickering rang through the halls.

"_Pfft!"_

"What?" Ralph blinked "What's the matter guys?"

"Meh." Sorcerous shrugged, rolling her eyes "So-So."

"SO-SO?!" the big man roared though by the expression he was clearly acting out like a child "What do ya mean 'SO-SO'?!"

"The crust on yours is a lil underdone…." Said the frog girl, poking the aforementioned crust.

"Plus, it's not as sweet as the other ones." Said Clyde.

"UUURGH!" groaned Cyril "Think found! EGG SHELL!"

"Aw, REALLY!?" Ralph moaned, throwing his head up into the air "After all that! After all your whinin'! "Ralph bring me pie! Ralph, pie pie pie!' That's what ya tell me! THAT'S-!"

"Ralph…." Bowser smiled "Ya know they're messin' with ya right?"

Blushing a bit, Ralph looked over at the other anons and just like clocked-work they all erupted into a wave of laughter. The wrecker frowned and puffed out his cheeks, crossing his huge arms.

"NO MORE. NO MORE PIE FOR ANY OF YOU."

"Aw c'mon!" grinned Sorcerous "Can't ya take a widdle joke?"

"I can…." Ralph turned and huffed "But not when it feels like even YOU guys don't appreciate mah down-home cookin'!"

"Ralph, your pie is good." Clyde said "It just shows that you've been making great progress with your neighbors."

The frown on Ralph's face began to fade, replaced with a warm smile "Yeah….yeah, it is. Heh, I just can't believe this is happenin' though. I mean, look back guys. Just look back. I used to think those lil guys were just….well….."

"Just NPCs?" said Bowser, drinking his tea daintily. He then nudged Ralph in the side "See, see. What did I say?"

"Muurgh…" Ralph moaned playfully "That even NPCs have more to 'em."

Bowswer threw his head back and laughed powerfully "MAN. I LOVE bein' right!"

"Don't rub it in, Scale-Bait." Chuckled Bison "It's not like you're the only one who thinks that."

"But he's right." Said Ralph "I mean, everyone bein' so nice to me after King Candy? It was all good an' all but I never thought about the bigger picture in all of it. I never thought about HOME. I mean, Vanellope? Tha kid has shown me so much great things in her game but even in tha thirty years I've been at home, I've never felt AT HOME. An' cookin' with tha Nicelanders have actually made me enjoy it."

Ralph looked down at the floor, shaking his head.

"I mean…pie. There is so much more to it than I would have EVER thought. I mean, I thought it was just…FOOD. Just a treat. I thought that those guys gave pie to Felix because he was just 'the good guy' but after everything they've told me? Everything they've SHOWN me, I get it now. I got it. It WAS about being GOOD. Not PROGRAMMED…."

"Yes?" asked Clyde.

"It…it just reminds me so much of Vanellope. When I look at how happy she is….just by being me? I feel so wonderful." Ralph continued "But the Nicelanders? All their happiness? Their happiness came from Felix remindin' 'em that they MEANT somethin'. That they were not useless an' what they did in tha game mattered. If Felix believed in 'em, how bad could they be? I just never thought. I just never thought that they ever once felt so bad or hated their jobs so much. But I'm startin' ta see that. I'm statin' ta see that we DID….we DO have so much in common. I'm just regret that so many things got in our way to really see it."

There was a small hush over the anons as they looked at Ralph. He had really started to move forward in a way that the group have never thought would happen. Sure, Ralph had gained so much love after becoming a hero to the arcade but it was almost as if the greatest parts of his happiness was coming from spending time with the people who had once feared him.

The Nicelanders.

Ralph was actually enjoying himself with them. He actually loved baking pies, he loved seeing how much fun Vanellope was having but most of all, he loved the fact that the Nicelanders really did want him around.

Not because they NEEDED him for the game, but rather because they WANTED him as a FRIEND.

And the more Ralph thought, he realized he liked them as his friends as well.

"I really can't say anymore." The big man smiled "I like this. I like helping out with pie! To see 'em work so hard on 'em. They DON'T have to bake like this but they DO. They are dedicated to their work, much like how I'm dedicated to wreckin'."

"Hmmm, nice speech there Brick-Boy." Cackled the Cyborg "Anythin' else ya wanna say?"

"Ah-ha, well-!" Ralph chortled a bit but he smirked, a brow arching "How 'bout this? Rather than blubberin' ta me about pie, come ta Niceland an' bake it yourselves. Are ya guys even AWARE of how many boxes I had to cart over tonight?"

"You have big hands, you can handle it!"

"Oh, just bring your lazy butts over! Tha Nicelanders won't swarm on ya!"

"Sounds like a good idea!" said Sorcerous "I would like to take a break sometime this week!"

"Oh, but will they be okay with that?" said the frog girl, hopping up on her chair next to the floating magician "I mean, from the way you put it Ralph they sound nice but I wouldn't want to…."

"Ah, we'll think of somethin'." Said Ralph "Don't worry about it, guys. You'll get a chance to visit!"

"We look forward to that." Nodded Clyde "But right now, WE have to go."

"Whoa, why was this meetin' so short?"

Clyde hovered around a chair, trying his best to clean up. He rolled his eyes "Because PINKY promised to have her book club tonight and she said she would, and I quote-"

The orange ghost then posed like his female partner, making his eyes as bright as possible.

"I will drag your butt to the FILTHIEST toilet I can find in the arcade and shove you so far down the pipes, even MARIO won't be able to get ya out, CLYYYYYDE!"

"MAN, that girl is HARSH!" Ralph winced.

"What can I say? She knows how to get her way…."

Once the meeting dismissed Ralph began his walk back to Niceland. He hummed a tune, thinking about what new pie would be on the list, his mouth already watering but his mind and body ready to take on the duty of preparing the tasty treat.

"Coconut crème?" he said to himself "Mmm, it's okay. Oh, what about-! Cheesecake? Wait, does CHEESECAKE count as a pie? It's called CAKE but pour it more like pie an-!"

He stopped. He was right in front of the trolley but someone was missing.

Or better yet, SOMEONE was missing.

"Wait, what am I doin'?" the man blinked "How in tha arcade did I get THIS FAR without VANELLOPE?"

* * *

"Vanellope left HOURS ago." Said Jubileena, Ralph looking down at her "I'm surprise ya didn't see her in the station."

Now Ralph was confused. Where could have the racer gone? She had promised to meet him in front of the trolley and he had gotten there on time, even EARLIER in fact considering Pinky had caused the meeting to adjourn so soon.

What had happened?

"Are ya sure she didn't come back here?" the man asked "It seems odd that she would miss an appointment."

Jubileena shook her head, pigtails bobbing as she did so "Nope, nope, nope! She hasn't come back or called!"

The wrecker felt a little worry forming in the pit of his stomach. After giving his good-byes to the cherry-racer her bounded out of Sugar Rush, looking this way and that for the racer.

"Aw c'mon! Where could she have-!"

"WOW! Great serve!"

"Heh, thanks!"

Ralph instantly recognized the voice from afar, turning his head towards one of the various tennis games in the arcade.

"Vanellope?"

Ralph walked over, the sounds of a match going on inside audible from the outside. He frowned a bit, a pout coming on his lips.

"I TOLD her to meet me by the trolley." the big man grumbled "What in tha ARCADE could have taken her attention so-!"

"HA-HA!"

As Ralph broke through the crowd, he got an eyeful of just WHAT was going on.

In the middle of the little game there indeed was a match going on but it wasn't the usually players. ONE of them was playing but the other?

He looked a LITTLE familiar.

"My serve!"

The ball was thrown by the out-of-game player, his little hands tossing the ball up but hitting it against the racquet with surprising strength.

"HA!"

The ball bounced from one side to another, the in-game player returning the serve but the other character was quick! He saw the move and dived in, hitting it just in time to send it over the net.

"Heh, nice move." Ralph smiled, making his way further into the crowd.

He looked over to the side, seeing Vanellope looking on with a bright look on her face. She was trying her best to remain still but even Ralph could see she was almost ready to bust with a cheer.

"So THIS is where she's been?"

The wrecker turned back towards the game, the other player giving a strong swing-!

"HA!"

And the in-game player MISSED, the buzzer going off as the crowd went WILD!

"Game, set, MATCH!" shouted the little birdie goal keeper "Point goes to Nolan!"

NOLAN.

Ralph's eyes widened as he saw that it was indeed NICELANDER NOLAN who had given the winning swing.

"WOOOW!" said Vanellope as she walked from the court with Nolan "That was AWESOME Mr. Nolan! I didn't know Nicelanders could move that fast on the court!"

The man wiped his brow, snickering "Well, not ALL of us are fast. I can say that I pride myself being quicker than the average-!"

"Vanellope?"

The racer let out a squeak as she and Nolan stopped, looking up at Ralph who seemed just as surprised as they were. The girl quickly recovered, smiling and waving.

"Ah, see ya got too late! Ya missed a great game, big guy!"

* * *

"Oh, so I was supposed to bake pies today?" Nolan said, sounding a little embarrassed as he lead the two to the apartments "Sorry about that guys. I guess I let it slip!"

"I don't mind!" Vanellope said "I got a chance ta see a great game so it's all good ta me!"

"Yeah, I've been a regular in that place since it was plugged in." Nolan smiled "I know it's kinda old by today's standards but, heh. It works just fine for me!"

"I never really would have thought that Nicelanders were so….SPORTY." Vanellope said "I mean, no offense but ya guys aren't really….well."

"BUILT for sports?" Nolan finished, pulling down his glasses a bit. Vanellope twiddled her thumbs, hoping that she hadn't said the wrong thing.

"I-I guess."

Nolan adjusted the red frames on his face but he continued to smile "Aaah, don't worry about it kid. It's not like what you said was the WORST 'compliment' thrown towards us. Trust me, I've heard PLENTY over the years."

Vanellope knew it would be best to bite her tongue for this. Maybe Nolan hadn't heard the ENTIRE story.

"Yeah, I know it's weird but besides from all that pie, someone was thoughtful enough to put some tennis in my code."

"An' then some!" Ralph laughed powerfully "Ya know Nolan, have ya ever talked ta Bowser? I know tha big fella is ALWAYS up for a game of-"

"Oh, Nory. Get off it!"

The trio stopped in their tracks, a familiar voice around.

"Was that Ms. Nel?" asked Vanellope.

"Nel?" Nolan echoed, a brow arching.

"C'mon baby! It was just a joke!"

Another familiar voice!

Before the group even knew what was going on, who should come out from the front of the atrium than Nel and Norwood, Nel trying her best to keep a pace above Norwood.

"Look, ya know I wasn't bein' serious back there!" the man pleaded "I would never do somethin' lilke that ta ya!"

"Ya know…." Nel pouted, putting a finger below Norwood's chin "I WOULD belive ya, RED."

"Really?"

"YEAH, I WOULD. If ya havne't been pullin' this crap on me for the past THIRTY YEARS!"

The red-head let out a defeated moan but he quickly stood back up, reaching out for his neighbor "Nel, I said I was sorry!"

"_Whoa, somethin' must be goin' on."_ Vanellope whispered up to Ralph, ducking a bit _"Think we should go in tha back way?"_

"_I don't think we hafta worry THAT much."_ Said Ralph _"I mean, it's just-"_

"NEL." Nolan said, his voice sounding hard and cold. Ralph and Vanellope gazed at the Nicelander. Only seconds ago he looked so warm and welcoming but now?

NOW he looked rather….PEEVED.

"Mr. Nolan?" Vanellope asked "Er, is somethin' wrong?"

The man dropped his bag of equipment and marched right up to the two, his hands held gracefully behind his back.

"Nelly, just LISTEN!"

"No, YOU listen Norwood!"

"I was just-!"

"You ALWAYS-!"

"AH-HEM."

The two Nicelanders stopped their bickering, looking shocked to find Nolan before her.

"Nolan!" Nel gasped, looking this way and that "A-Ah, I thought you were-!"

Even from afar, both Ralph and Vanellope could see Norwood's face turning sour.

Something bad was about to happen.

"Hello, Nelly." Nolan smiled "Is everything alright, cousin?"

"Of course it is." Nel huffed, looking away from the man in embarrassment "Ya don't have ta talk ta me like I'm twelve for cryin' out loud."

Nolan's eyes narrowed; there was no way Nel was going to try to get out of the discussion THIS time.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't being put through any unnecessary STRESS." The man said, his tone calm "I mean, you DON'T seem to be too comfortable in our present company…."

"NOLAN, this is nothing for you to get your hair in a bunch." Nel groaned, shaking her head.

"'COURSE IT ISN'T." Norwood growled, his voice sounding deeper than normal "_Specially when ya don't have that much to worry 'bout ANYWAY._"

Nolan's eyes shot over to the freckled Nicelander, his pink cheeks going red with fury "HEY! HEY HEY HEY! I don't have time to deal with your crap today, NORWOOD!"

"I didn't do anythin'!" Norwood roared, marching closer to Nolan's face "Don't start that blame stuff on me!"

"Guys!" Nel cried out, trying to pull the two men away "Look, okay! Nory WAS bein' a butt to me!"

"NEL!"

Nel turned towards the bespectacled Nicelander, putting her hands on his shoulders "But it is NOTHING for you to get worried about! I can take care of myself, Nolan!"

The man growled, adjusting his glasses as he glared at Norwood.

It was a stare down.

"_Man, all we need is the tumbleweed and someone to count to ten!"_ Vanellope said, Ralph reaching down and taking her by her hood "Whoa! What's up?"

"Hey, fellas."

The Nicelanders turned as Ralph approached them, the man hoping he could break up whatever trouble was starting to brew before him but the looks that both men were giving him….

_TERRIFYING._

"_Eurgh! If looks could KILL!_" Ralph thought to himself "Erm, n-nothin' too bad Is happin' here, right? I mean, I wouldn't want anythin' bad ta happen ta ruin such a WONDERFUL night!"

"Why don't ya ask the great red Wookie over here?" Nolan thumbed over towards Norwood.

"Oh, things were goin' fine here!" Norwood responded with a TERRIBLE smile on his face "Till I was struck in the face by the reflective surface of your giant head!"

"I DON'T HAVE A BALD SPOT, YA FRECKLE-FACED CAT GEEK!" Nolan roared.

"I'M NOT A CAT-GEEK YA TENNIS LOVIN' FOUR-EYES!"

"Okay, ENOUGH!"

"HOWARG!"

"GWARGH!"

Combo move! Nel had grabbed BOTH men by their ears!

"You two…." The woman sighed "Actin' in such a manner in front of our guest! What is wrong with you?"

"_Ow, ow!_ Ask your 'GUARDIAN'!" writhed Norwood "He'll tell ya!"

"Don't pin this on me, Tomato!" growled Nolan.

Nel let the two men go, patting them both on the head "Aaaaw, Nolan. You're just a sweetheart lookin' after your baby cousin!"

Nolan blushed a bit as Nel continued to pet him, feeling some shame over jumping the gun with his anger.

"_I-It's what family would do, you know that Nel."_

"I do, I do. But as I said I can take care of myself against Butt-Monster here."

Tears of shame were starting to fall down Norwood's cheeks, the man thoroughly embarrassed in front of everyone.

"Nel, if you're still mad I'm sorry! I didn't mean ta prank ya like that!"

"PRANKS?!" Nolan said, snapping from his shell "What did you pull on her THIS time?!"

Nel slapped her forehead "Gah, NOLAN."

"So who do ya think is gonna win?" asked Vanellope.

"My money is on….."

"_**GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!"**_

The entire game shook, Nel's powerful voice able to send the ducks flying from the pond in fear. Ralph smiled, an approving look on his face.

"Nel. My money is on Nel."

"From what I understand…" the woman smiled, her fist held tightly "YOU'RE supposed to be taking these two for a pie lesson. Is that not RIGHT?"

Nolan said nothing, only nodding.

"AND YOU." Nel frowned, spinning on her heels towards Norwood "I'M gonna PERSONALLY teach ya a lesson about messin' with people! Ya hear?!"

Norwood turned bright red as he backed away "B-B-B-But Nel!"

"B-B-B-B-B-Back is up mister!" the woman said, grabbing Norwood by his tie "An' march your freckled-booty back up those stairs!"

"A-alright, alright!" Norwood pleaded, running into the atrium as fast as he could.

"AND YOU!"

Nolan gasped, his glasses falling off his face "W-What is it Nel?"

Nel smiled sneakily. She then ran up and hugged the man tightly.

"Just have some fun and stop worrying so much!" the woman said as she ran back into the apartments, a sudden SLAP sound heard a second later.

"WOO! NEL!"

"I said get upstairs! Don't dawdle!"

Nolan rubbed his brow, shaking his head at his behavior in front of his guest.

"Pardon my reaction. Dealing with things such as….._**THAT **_tend to bring out the worst in me."

Ralph and Vanellope exchanged looked. They were used to squabbling happening around the arcade but it was still a little surprising to see such tiny people as the Nicelanders fight so fiery. One had to wonder just what was causing a tiff between Nicelander and Nicelander.

Those question would have to wait for another day as Nolan lead the crew to his apartment. It was just as busy and as full as the others, trophies of all sorts and various tennis equipment filling his room.

"Man. I love seein' what's in these rooms." Vanellope chuckled to herself, looking at her reflection in a shiny golden trophy "They aren't racin' cups but boy, ya sure do have a lot of 'em!"

Nolan didn't respond, the girl turning to see him leaning out of his door.

"Mr. Nolan?"

"What are you two up to?" the Nicelander whispered to himself, his eyes scanning down the hall.

"Er, sir? Everythin's okay ri-?"

Nolan held up a hand towards Vanellope's mouth, ducking back just a tad as footsteps echoed through the hall.

"I said back off."

"But Nel!"

"Is this because of Norwood?" asked Ralph. The wrecker could see the Nicelander's frown deepen at the mere mention of the red-head's name.

"Norwood?" he laughed, the sound obviously forced "I have NO idea WHOOOOO you're talkin' about Ralph!"

"Ya know…Dr. Norwood." Vanellope said, leaning closer towards Nolan "Kinda chubby, carrot cake-top head, freckles, lottsa cats?"

The three poked their heads out of the door slightly, Nel trying her best to open the door but she was clearly agitated with Norwood standing behind her.

"I promise not ta do it again…." Said the red-head.

"You've been sayin' that for YEARS, Nory." Said Nel.

Nolan's eyes narrowed.

"I…Look, I will admit I had no right ta try ta lift ya like that." Norwood said in a weak voice, a hand behind his head.

Nolan gripped harder upon the door frame; had Norwood put his hands on his cousin again?

"You KNOW I can't stand heights…." Nel growled, finally pushing her door in roughly "And what do you do? You leave me up there! YOU LEFT ME UP THERE!"

"Nel, I don't know how many times I can repeat it but I am SORRY!" Norwood wailed, nearly begging at this point "I just wanted ya ta smile!"

"By puttin' me through one of my biggest fears?" Nel huffed, knocking on Norwood's head rather roughly "Yeah, GOOD idea on your part Norwood! You're just SO smart! Maybe you should have called those other guys to join you!"

Norwood stood up, glaring down at Nel as he began to push her back into her apartment "Nel…."

YUP. Nolan knew it was time to intervene!

"'S much as I love ya, don't you even DARE try ta say I'm on THAT level! I'm nowhere NEAR that ba-!"

"WELL, HELLO AGAIN YOU TWO!"

Norwood and Nel stopped in their tracks only to find Nolan standing behind them once more but even with the smile he was forcing on his face, Nel could tell that her cousin was less than pleased.

"I knew we were makin' too much of a fuss!" the woman said, pinching Norwood hard on his side.

"What was all of this about again?" Nolan asked "Somethin' 'bout puttin' Nel UP somewhere?"

"Nolan, it was a JOKE!" Nel protested "A joke that does not require your actions! I can handle this!"

"I'm not so sure about that…." The bespectacled Nicelander growled, his eyes glaring coldly at Norwood "With as many years as HE'S been messin' with you, I think we're long overdue for setting some GROUND RULES on how to behave!"

"What should we do?" Vanellope meeped "We can't leave 'em out there like this! They might eat each other alive!"

Ralph sighed; as much as he hated coming between a fight he knew he had to do something to stop it.

And what better way to stop it than the reason both he and Vanellope had come to the apartments in the first place?

"Wait up, fellas…." Ralph said as he walked before the Nicelanders "Sounds to me like everyone's had a rough night."

Nel crossed her arms and looked away "You can say somethin' like that….."

Norwood ran a hand through his hair "M-Maybe…."

"I know it's not right for me to brag…." The wrecker smirked "But with all the dealin's I've been doin' with PIE lately, maybe THAT is exactly what we need to relax a bit!"

"Er, yeah…." Nolan said sheepishly "I DID promise I would show you how to make key lime this time…."

"So why don't we all do it?" asked Ralph.

"All?" blinked Nel "What do you mean?"

Ralph smiled warmly "We're all pals here right? So why not just drop all the grump and make a pie together!"

The trio of Nicelanders looked at each other for a second before turning back to Ralph. Of the three, Nel seemed the most skeptical, as if the thought of baking with both her cousin and her apparent beau seemed more like an open invitation for TROUBLE than something that was to be enjoyed.

"You're sure about this, Ralph?"

"I would LOVE ta do that!" Vanellope piped in, rushing over to Nel and taking her hands "'Sides, the more the merrier right Mr. Nolan?"

"Right…." Nolan said, just as unsure as the others "…Right."

A few moments later, everyone had made their way back down to the community kitchen, Vanellope helping Nolan carry his ingredients and other items needed for the lesson.

"So you an' Ms. Nel are COUSINS?" asked Vanellope "Captain Don said he was cousins with Mr. Roy an' I know Lucy is Mr. Tony's lil sis….I didn't think there were so many families here in Niceland!"

"What? Did you think we were all just….I don't know, just HERE?" Nolan snickered a bit towards the girl.

"I'm kinda embarrassed ta admit it, but yeah. I used ta think that…." Vanellope sighed. She perked up a bit once she remembered the pies "But ya know somethin'? I've actually been havin' fun hangin' out 'round here! Ya guys do so much stuff, I'm surprised that I haven't run into someone who's a racin' fan yet!"

Nolan let out a loud laugh "Oh-HO! You'll find out soon enough!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Hey, we don't wanna waste time!" Nolan said as he side-stepped the racer "I said we were going to make key lime so prepare yourselves!"

"For WHAT?" snorted Norwood, leaning on the counter "To call out Felix to fix these two once they try it? Sure, I'll be ready for THAT!"

"Norwood." Nel growled, pulling the man's cheek "Not now. We have guest and I don't feel like dealin' with your mess!"

"No, no, no! It's perfectly fine Nelly!" Nolan chuckled as he prepared the limes "As much of a BRAT he is, Norwood knows when to call it enough."

The man turned, eyeing Norwood angrily.

"RIGHT?"

The red-headed snorted again; he should have brought his pipe down considering how much Nolan was driving him to smoke more.

"RIGHT."

"Do you want me to cut the limes?" Vanellope grinned, rolling some of the round fruit on the counter.

"Eh-eh, Don't give her anythin' sharp!" Ralph said, taking the limes from Nolan "You'll regret every moment of it."

"Oh, then she can start on the base!" said Nolan as he gave Vanellope a measuring cup filled with a sweet smelling liquid.

"What is this stuff?"

"Coconut milk." Smiled Nolan "It brings out the flavor a lot more than just regular cow's milk!"

"Okay, I'll mix…." The racer said, pouting a bit "But BOO! I'm old enough to handle sharp objects! I DRIVE for cryin' out loud!"

"Yes, I heard about that." Nolan smiled "Seems like racers are getting' younger and younger these days! Are some of the Mario kart kids just babies?"

"Yeah…" Vanellope frowned "I heard about that but there is NO way I'm gonna have my title taken away by some big-noses kids who are still in diapers! They're might have some kids rushin' over to 'em but Vanellope Von Schweetz still reigns here!"

"Wow, talk any more like that an' you're be gunnin' for Turbo's position." Ralph said as he gave Vanellope a thump on the head.

"Hey, I was just kiddin' around." Vanellope said, rubbing her head "But after Baby Daisy launched eggs at our karts, I think someone SHOULD have a talk wit dem 'kids'."

"They launched EGGS at you?" asked Nolan.

"AAAAAN' Daisy wrote 'Kiss my diapers!' on Rancis' cart! KISS MY DIAPERS! What is UP with those guys?!"

Ralph laughed loudly "Oooh, competition! Those Nintendo guys are ROUGH, kid."

Vanellope snuck a large spoonful of cream in her mouth. It was so tasty and sweet; if no one else were looking, she would have run off with the entire bowl but she was surrounded. Not even her glitch would save her from being spied upon with so many people around.

"Mmph, so you like racin' games Mr. Nolan?" asked Vanellope.

"Of course! I love all sports games to tell you the truth!" said Nolan as he handed Ralph a stack of graham crackers.

"Wait, what do you want me to do with these?" Ralph asked as he took the crackers in his large hands.

"Well, what else?" Nolan said "Do what you do best, Ralph."

"You mean…WRECK 'em?"

"Yup!" the man nodded "Just leave 'em a bit rough okay? They have to be crumbly but pound 'em too hard, then it'll just be powder!"

"Alright!" Ralph said with a smile as he cracked his knuckles "I'll have 'em ready in a second, Nolan!"

*BAM!*

***BAM!***

_***BAM! BAM! BAM!***_

Now Ralph was REALLY having fun; if there was something to baking with the Nicelanders it was that each of them found some way to utilizes his skills in the kitchen to help them and if there was one thing Ralph loved, it was finding that those massive fist of his could be used for other things.

"Wow, go Ralph!" Vanellope cheered, some cracker bits flying in her face.

"An' DONE!" the man said as he looked down at the perfectly wrecked pile of graham cracker crumbs "Not too shabby for a bad guy, eh?"

"They came out perfect." Nolan said, scooping up the bowl and handing it to Nel "You know what to do with these."

"Of course." The woman smiled as she walked back over to the counter, no one noticing the look both she and Norwood exchanged.

"_Dun look at me like that…."_

"_OooOOOoooh, like what?"_

"What were we talking about? Sports games?" the Nicelander said as he continued mixing "Yup! Love 'em! I always make sure to be there-!"

"-Whenever a new sports game is plugged in, no matter the hour." Laughed Nel "Remember that midnight opener back in ninety-three?"

"How could we forget?" chuckled Norwood from afar "It like….midnight or somethin' Litwak got that thing in an' we had to go after his butt to make sure he didn't get into any trouble!"

"Hey, don't YOU go telling that story!" Nolan scoffed "You say it, it comes out so ridiculous that it's no wonder people me take me as some sort of sports-dork."

"That's because you ARE a DORK." Nel tittered "But anyway, this tennis game, Birdie Match…."

"God, what a STUPID name." Norwood snorted.

"Birdie Match came in, Nolan just goes NUTS and for the next few weeks, he spends most of this off-time playing there!"

"Was it fun?" asked Vanellope "I mean, ya didn't have any trouble with tha people there, did ya?"

"No, just ask them yourself!" Nolan smirked "They're still here, and I still visit them!"

"They're one of the good games…." Nel said, reaching over Nolan for a jar of honey "Granted, their characters look as doofy as WE do so yeah. I guess it wasn't like we didn't have SOMETHING in common."

Ralph and Vanellope could tell that the two Nicelanders were suggestion the only reason Nolan could act so freely in the game was because the main characters weren't as hostile towards outside NPCs as others.

"An' tha other sports games?" Vanellope asked "They were about the same?"

"Some were better than others, I suppose I can say that…" the man said sheepishly, finishing off the last lime "Some were welcoming. Some weren't. That's just the way it is."

"Well, I want ya ta know!" Vanellope smiled from ear to ear "If ya ever wanna see a good race, ya can always come down ta Sugar Rush! Plus, we got other things goin' on as well!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Ya like tennis! Well, we got us a tennis court you would love!"

"That's made out of candy?" Nolan joked.

"Well, yeah. EVERYTHING is made outta candy."

"I guess I'll have to go and check that out. Been a while since I saw a REALLY good race anyway."

"Trust me, Nolan." Ralph said "Those kids have some skills. Ya won't believe what they can do!"

"Sorry I missed it for so long then…." Nolan said, handing the bowl of cut limes to Vanellope "Here ya go."

"What do ya want me ta do with these?" asked the racer.

"Just squeeze them into the bowl. I'll finish the rest."

Vanellope nodded as she did what she said, pressing the fresh lime juice into the bowl. She could smell the sweet and zesty scent hitting her nose. It was so tropical and so fresh.

And if it SMELLED so good, it was only a matter of time before she could TASTE it.

"Tha races looked fun back then, I admit…." Vanellope said "But….but I don't know if it would have been all that welcoming."

"What do you mean?" asked Nolan.

"Now that I look back, Sugar Rush really wasn't as OPEN as it was when King Candy was in charge. Ya know how EVERYONE seems ta come to watch us now? Even in other games, you'll get spectators from near an' far tryin' ta watch a race or two…."

Vanellope stopped, realizing something rather BIG in her long lonely years in hiding.

"I don't remember seein' ANYONE outside of Sugar Rush enjoyin' anythin'….."

"Ya don't?" asked Ralph. Vanellope shook her head.

"Uh-uh, not even once."

"Why do you think that was?" asked Nel as she looked over.

"I can only guess because Turbo didn't want people to get nosey….." the girl said, looking a bit thoughtful as she rubbed her chin "OOOOR, he didn't want what happened between me an' Ralph ta spring up in his face. I mean, it would have only been a matter of time."

"Wow…." Ralph said, wringing his fingers, feeling a bit nervous "What one guy will do to hold onto somethin'…."

Nolan felt a chill running up his spine.

"Makes me wonder….ya think he did anyone else in?"

"What do ya mean, Big Guy?" asked Norwood.

"What I mean is, with all tha games that have been unplugged an' the people who have gone missin'? Ya think that if they went TOO far into Sugar Rush durin' his rule, he could have-?"

"I don't even wanna think about it, Ralph!" Vanellope interrupted "There's still a lot I gotta clean up! I don't wanna think of tha stuff I might find hidden in places."

"Y-Yeah, it would be best to leave some things from the past ALONE." Nolan retorted, his voice sounding rough "After all, Turbo is gone. We should all try to move on."

"Yeah…." Vanellope said, feeling a bit guilty for bringing up the matter "I don't know what I was thinkin'. But ya guys are ALWAYS welcome in Sugar Rush! Always!"

"Thanks. It feels so good to know people want us around….."

"Oh Nolan, don't start." Nel said "Try to be a bit more cheerful around the kid, will you?"

"I'm not being THAT gloomy!" the Nicelander said "I'm just stating a fact! It's nice to know that people want us around and by that I mean NOT as something they can punt around."

"Ya wanna talk about PUNTIN'?" Norwood laughed "I think I've had more run-ins with some arcade jerk than YOU, Noly!"

"Norwood, you do realize that counting ME as someone who kicked your butt doesn't count." Nolan mumbled, Norwood turning red in the face with anger.

"Like ya have tha power, baldy."

Nel slid over to the man "NORY."

"SAY, why key lime?" Ralph said, trying to break the tension that was brewing "Nel makes blackberry! Norwood makes pumpkin! What do you like about KEY LIME?"

"Er, I really DON'T like it." Nolan said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Ralph and Vanellope nearly dropped their ingredients on the floor.

"Wait, WHAT?" Vanellope gasped "YOU don't like the pie ya make?!"

Nolan looked at the two in confusion, as if he believed the answer he gave them was normal.

"Yeah? What's the big deal about that?"

"Mr. Nolan, SIR." Ralph said "Okay, I can get DON havin' a hard time with pie because he can't cook but from tha way you've been mixin' ya know EXACTLY what you're doin'!"

"Thank you!" Nolan smiled proudly.

"So why hate what ya make?" Vanellope asked, looking rather upset "That….that's like me HATIN' ta race but doin' it anyway because I DON'T KNOW!"

The three Nicelanders looked at each other. Nolan looked weakly at the counter, Nel putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"Nolan…."

The man removed his glasses, his eyes becoming clearer to both Wrecker and racer.

"Eeeh, someone was gonna blab anyway-"

"DON." Norwood said sharply.

"Give him some credit, Nory." Nolan responded "Yeah. I make Key Lime pie but I HATE the pie. It's just BLAARGH! And UURGH in my mouth!"

Nolan shuddered, rubbing his arms "Like….like getting a mouthful of greasy lime-flavored mashed potatoes in your mouth. It's just WRONG!"

Vanellope turned a bit blue in the face "If ya keep talkin' like THAT, ya might turn me away from tha stuff, SIR."

"Sorry kid but I HATE cream pies! Never have liked 'em, never will."

"Being this stubborn since the beginnin'…." Nel said, poking her cousin in the cheek.

"I ya wanna know the reason WHY." Asked the racer "WHY I make these pies when ya don't even like 'em?"

Nolan tapped his red glasses, the lenses shining in the light "See these?"

"Your glasses?"

Nolan nodded "Thank these babies for the pie."

"Glasses are the reason you make a pie you don't like?" Ralph asked "This I have to hear!"

Norwood let out a huge moan, getting up and walking towards the door "Ah GOD. If anyone needs me, I'm goin' out for a SMOKE."

"Norwood, come back here!" Nel said as she chased the red-head outside "Don't be such a rude b-!"

With the two others gone, Nolan felt a bit more comfortable around his guest. He knew that there were certain things he would be unable to say in front of his neighbors but with only a Wrecker and a racer around?

"It seems so stupid once I look back at it…."

The truth could really come out.

The filling complete Nolan began scooping out large spoonfuls into the sweet crust , his nose wrinkling up as he did so.

"_Like….zombie blood…."_ He murmured. He turned to Vanellope "Hey, I'm sure you'd love to do this."

"Er, sure I would!"

"Good, because it's all yours!" Nolan said, putting the bowl and spoon in front of Vanellope "Just don't dump it in. Spoonful and spoonful. Add a lil bit then smooth it out, add a little more then smooth it again. It makes sure everything stays nice and creamy and prevents air from getting in."

"Wow, for someone who apparently HATES this pie you sure know a lot about it!"

"Well, I've been making them for thirty so-odd years." The Nicelander said, rather proudly "Even if I don't LIKE the pie, I've made certain that when it does come out it comes out to PERFECTION!"

"And your glasses?" asked Ralph.

"Ah yes, the story." Nolan began "Of glasses and pie….of glasses and….THIS."

Nolan pushed the bowl away, leaning on the counter.

"Ya know what you said about King What's-his-face? Turbo's lil power fantasy thing?"

Vanellope nodded "Mm-hmm?"

"Once upon a time, before Turbo made himself look like an even BIGGER idiot, he used to think he was top stuff here." Nolan began "And also once upon a time, there was a Nicelander with BLUE glasses who couldn't wait to go to every sports game around."

"You." Ralph pointed.

"Me." Nolan said as he took out his wallet, showing the two a very old picture "See that there? This was taken about a day or so after we were plugged in. Tell me kid; which of those things is not like the other?"

"I see blue glasses instead of red, like ya said." smiled Vanellope.

"Yuppers. And do you want to know HOOOOOOW I came to be of these particular hue of frames?"

Ralph leaned heavily on the counter, his mood darkening "What did Turbo do to YOU?"

"Oh, it wasn't anything THAT special…." Nolan whistled "Just thought it would be funny to charge up his engine while I was around to scare me."

"I know that prank." Vanellope said "Gloyd does it all tha time…."

"But does this Gloyd also take your glasses and roll them over with his tires?"

Vanellope shivered "Snowy is tha only one who needs glasses an' if Gloyd had done that to her?"

The racer scratched her head; she KNEW the outcome wouldn't have been pretty.

"Let's just say tha question of 'Where was Gloyd buried?' would be a common thing."

"So he just took your glasses an' broke 'em?" asked Ralph "Just like that? No reason?"

"Other than because he thought it was funny, I guess." Nolan said "I THINK it might have been because I beat him in a tennis match the day before…."

"HA! Really?!" Vanellope laughed "Man, any person who beats Turbo in ANYTHIN' is a friend'a mine!"

"I guess he didn't expect me to be so skilled in it." The Nicelander smiled "After all, do we really look like we're sportin' in anything?"

Vanellope laughed nervously "I never would have thought so but after what we've been through….."

"I'll admit it. Tennis is my thing, some of the others have their things but yeah. At the end of the day, we're not the strongest people here. I'm thankful that I can count 'can play tennis' as a sort of super power!"

"Either, people don't have tha right to mess with ya like they did." Ralph said "I mean, c'mon. Doin' that over a game a'tennis? Are ya kiddin' me?"

"Either way…..we didn't have to be scared of you." Said Nolan.

"Sir, I've gotten so many apologies over that." Ralph sighed, wiping his face "I get it now. I get EVERYTHING now. I'm startin' to get more upset over the fact that Turbo was screwin' with ALL of us over the years that I don't want to see you guys act all sad-sackish-"

"_Sad-sackish?"_

"Over this!" Ralph continued "Besides, I'd rather do this, make pies I mean, than have an 'apology hour' any day. At least we're havin' fun with THIS!"

"Nice to know big guy." Nolan said pouring the contents of the bowl into the pie crust "It feels so good to know we got us a Wrecker on our side."

Ralph smiled proudly; there was just something to knowing that the Nicelanders were starting to view him as a hero and protector.

_Someone like Felix._

"So what happened to your glasses?" asked Vanellope "Did ya ask Felix to fix 'em?"

"That's the funny thing." Nolan said as he put the pie in the oven "He OFFERED me the chance but when he looked at the bits in the baggie…."

"Ya had ta put 'em in a BAGGIE?" said Ralph "Man! That's HARSH!"

"Yeah, they were THAT busted up!" Nolan laughed "But anyway, Felix was nice enough to offer to fix them but then I thought for a second. If I did that, Turbo would just keep comin' back and breakin' 'em. Or someone else would. It didn't matter if it were Turbo or NOT, some jerk would yank 'em off my face and break them."

Vanellope looked over _"Sooooo…."_

"So when I said NO, Felix thought I was upset because I didn't like the glasses THEMSELVES" Nolan said as he shook his frames "He really did think the bigger issue was what the FRAMES looked like! Honestly, I was going to invest in some contacts because if you guys could have my sight for three seconds. All you would say is…..'DANG.'"

"That bad?" asked Ralph, Nolan nodding a yes.

"So anyway, I'm about to go to this little place over in Double Dragon that can hook me up with some contact when out of the blue, Felix stops me!"

"What did he say?" Vanellope asked, curious to what Felix was doing.

"'Hay neighbor!" Nolan said, trying his best to impersonate Felix "Heard what happened last night! Sorry 'bout your glasses an' all!"

"That was terrible." Ralph laughed.

"Can you do better?" Nolan smiled.

Ralph stopped, noticing the looks he was receiving.

"AAAAAAH-"

"C'mon, Ralph" giggled Vanellope.

"Ha-ha-haaaaw-DEE?"

"That's TEXAN." Said Nolan "Felix is from the SOUTH."

"I tried, that's all that matters." The Wrecker said, huffing arrogantly.

"I try to tell Felix that he doesn't need to go and fix my glasses since I didn't even want them anymore but I guess from the way I SAID it, he thought I didn't like them because they were BLUE."

Vanellope had to giggle "W-wait a second. He thought you were upset over the COLOR?!"

"Yup!" said Nolan "So he takes me to the glasses store and offers to PAY for any pair that I want!"

"Really?" said Ralph.

"NO WAY!" said Vanellope "That's awesome!"

"And that's how I ended up with these….." Nolan said as he moved the glasses from his face "I mean…WOW. Felix is always so happy-go-lucky and chipper but to have the guy pay for some glasses out of his own pocket? After that, I KNEW I had to make it up for him!"

"And with that pie plan that Gene came up with?"

"Yeah, it was the perfect timing ."

Nolan looked down at the pie, "Speaking of which, this needs to go in the freezer!"

"Will it take long?" asked Vanellope.

"Not with this freak of nature we got here!" smiled the Nicelander as he popped the pie into the freezer "I don't know WHAT setting this thing is on but it'll chill something PERFECTLY in no time. Just gotta time it though. Wouldn't want it to turn into a block of ice."

The man looked at his watch, humming to himself.

"Give it…..about ten minutes. Tops."

"Great!" said Ralph "I can't wait to try it!"

"But I don't get it…."

Nolan looked over, noticing the look Vanellope was giving him "What don't you get, miss?"

"If you don't like your pie…." Said Vanellope "Why make it for Felix?"

"Simple. I found out that was one of his favorite types of pie, so why not?" Nolan said, checking "You know how he's lactose intolerant? I overhear him talking to Gene one day about how he wishes he could eat pies like this without getting sick. So I look up a recipe, find a key lime pie that doesn't contain milk and since that day, that's all I've been making for him!"

Ralph was a little stunned at the exchange that had gone on. Again, Felix had gone out of his way to help the Nicelanders when they had been getting pushed around and in return, a Nicelander was going out of their way to find something to please Felix. Nolan was doing something he despised, preparing a dish he didn't even want to be around all for the sake of thanking Felix for looking out for him.

He didn't have to do it. NEITHER men had to do it but they did.

"So if you don't like key lime pie then what pie DO you like?" asked Vanellope.

"I…aw screw it, I don't like pie at all."

Both Wrecker and racer were floored at the confession.

"WHAT!?"

"Mr. Nolan!"

"What? It's not like it's the only sweet in the world." The Nicelander chuckled "I just don't care for pie even if it's what I have to hand out for the game."

"Then what DO you like?"

"I prefer donuts as my favorite sweet." Nolan smiled "Specially the yeast kind, fresh and hot with the perfect sugar glaze on them."

The smile on Nolan's face began to grow.

"I'm all about eatin' well to keep in shape but….but I can't help it! Especially with a nice tall glass of cold milk? It's the best!"

"_Heh, I know what I'm bringin' here when I visit…"_ Vanellope laughed to herself.

"But hey, I don't think our programmers thought those were 'COOOOOOOL' or homey enough like PIE so I can't hand out doughnut to Felix. It would be going against the code even more so than we are now."

"You guys are something else." Ralph chuckled "You don't like pie but you can bake it with ease."

"My momma would have kicked my butt if I didn't know how to make a pie." The Nicelander smiled "THAT'S why I know."

A sense of warmth came of Ralph as he looked at Nolan's glasses once more. No wonder the man was always so careful with them. They were a GIFT to him and he didn't want to upset Felix by making the repairman fix them time after time should they get broken.

"Wow, I think I understand why you get so upset when Norwood bumps your glasses off."

"OH. HIM." Nolan said in a dark voice "Nory and I…..we. We have an UNDERSTANDING."

"You don't hate him do you?" Vanellope asked, sounding a little worried.

"HATE? HATE is such a strong word…." Nolan quipped "Let's just say, I would feel much better knowing he didn't mess with Nel as much as he does."

"Ya seem very protective of her." Ralph said "That's a good thing but to tell ya tha truth, Nel is so- So-!"

"NELLISH?"

"Yeah, let's put it like that." Ralph said as he pointed towards the Nicelander "Ms. Nel is just HERSELF that even I feel a bit scared around her."

"She had to be that way. People messed with her a lot more back in the day, back when she was a bit 'softer'."

"Ms. Nel? Soft?" Vanellope said, her mouth dropping "I-I think I'm too used to her bein' so kick-butt that-!"

"Trust me, Nel was a lot more….FLIGHTY. I guess you can say THAT'S why I'm so protective over her. She's FAMILY and a good man always makes certain that family is taken care of."

Vanellope hung on the back of a chair, her legs dangling in the air "So Ms. Nel an' Dr. Norwood are….?"

"It's a CRUSH." Nolan scowled "He's always been chasin' after Nel like some rabid cat goes after a rabbit."

Nolan was getting frustrated now, the man throwing the dishrag hard into the sink.

"I'm fine with it. ABSOLUTELY fine with it. There's nothing wrong with Nel hanging out with some guy who CONSTANTLY badgers us or pulls pranks on her because he's so starved for attention he forgets to act like a decent human being!"

"Ah-huh-WHOA!" Vanellope said "Don't mean ta barge too far inta this but I think Nel has him under control! I mean, ya DID say she could carry herself on her own now, right?"

"I guess so…." Nolan frowned "I just don't want anything else to happen to her. To all of us really."

Ralph could tell that Nolan wanted the best, that he tried to make for the best but as per the story with each Nicelander things got much more twisted than they wanted. It seemed from the way the man was acting that he really did want everyone to remain safe amongst the other larger more powerful characters in the arcade but along the way, he had lost track.

He could remember it, the subtle changes the Nicelanders had gone through year after year. He might have been far from them but he could remember it and it was starting to make sense.

When the game was first plugged in, Ralph DID remember Nolan's blue glasses and the little change in his stance after he suddenly came home with ones that were RED. It was like some of the fun had been taken from him and he become a bit more COARSE when it came to discussions about 'bad guys' and rough characters in general. He also remembered Nel WAS less, for the lack of better terms, biting then he was used to seeing her now. Nolan was also so close to her, always pulling her into the apartments when it was time to clean up or when it felt like something big was about to befall upon the Nicelanders.

There was more to the story than Nolan was letting on, more to what had happened in the past that had causes such a rift between everyone in the game. But whatever had happened in the past…

"Ah, it's done!"

The pie made way for the future.

"Have as much as you want." Nolan said as he placed the pie upon the "I really don't care about it anyway."

"It would be a shame just to eat it by ourselves." Ralph said.

"I DON'T MIND!" squealed Vanellope, knife and fork ready "LEMME AT IT!"

"Where are Nel an' Norwood?" the big man asked as he looked around "Those two just up and disappeared while we were makin' this. Ya think they would like some?"

"I'm sure Nel would." Nolan said as he took the pie and headed outside "She loves this stuff better than I do."

As the three walked down the path, Vanellope felt as if she had to say something.

"Ya know Mr. Nolan, I can understand ya bein' all protective of Ms. Nel an' all but c'mon! She could probably kick EVERYONE'S butt in her sleep!"

"I understand the sentiment young lady, I do but I still-!"

"An' I know she'll still love ya even if ya took a break or two."

Nolan sighed heavily "Y-Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that."

"When's tha last time ya HAVEN'T worried 'bout Nel?" asked Vanellope.

"The LAST time?" Nolan laughed "Ah, I don't think I can recall!"

"I think ya need ta start spendin' less time bein' so worried an' more time enjoyin' yourself! Ya seem ta enjoy yourself when you're out on tha court!"

"I guess it is the only time I actually have time to relax."

"Then ya should do it more often!" smiled Vanellope "Look, I said my game is open to everyone so ya can come on down any time ya want to play a match! I betcha Crumbellina would LOVE to play against you! None of us can catch up with hre! Not even ME, even with my glitch!"

Nolan smiled at the offer, glad to see that Vanellope was being so welcoming to him. He hadn't really expected such treatment from a girl who had shown to be, just like him, very protective over the person she held so dear. She just smiled at him, his heart melting at the sight.

He was worried, he was worried what would happen had she found out about the past. That once upon a time, Turbo wasn't the only person Nolan felt anger towards.

Anger?

Anger was the right word.

He hadn't confessed it outright but ANGER was what he felt during those years towards Ralph. He had seen what other bad guys would do to NPCs and after what had happened to Nel…..

He couldn't imagine it. He didn't want to imagine it.

_He didn't want ANYONE hurting his baby cousin._

He felt so guilty, guilty knowing he had thought so angrily towards Ralph for nothing back then. He had been at the bad end of others before and even he had been sucked into thinking that all bad guys were the same. It seemed to be something shared around the arcade towards various characters and it wasn't as if Nolan hadn't gotten his earful of comments thrown towards him. Others thought he was just like every other NPC so it was alright for them to shove them, or Nel, around. Nolan might not have been as vocal about it as Gene was, he he hated what he had seen, hated how he had been treated.

And in the back of his mind, he feared it. Feared that if he were to look away for one moment, that if he were to just take his attention elsewhere.

_Just like his glasses…._

Of course, he couldn't hold those opinions any longer.

How things had changed. Nolan had spent the evening baking with a BAD GUY. If he could go back in time and ask himself if he would do such a thing, he would have said no. That there was no way.

There were some early bad guys in Litwak's who enjoyed being bad, enjoyed treating others bad, so they were all the same right?

RIGHT?

No, Ralph wasn't a BAD guy. Ralph was a good ones, a good guy who Nolan know felt he could trust, one who had shown that he would never let anything happen to the game.

Someone who made it clear that he didn't look down on Nolan because he was an background character.

Maybe pie could bring about change.

"So, are ya gonna take my offer?" asked Vanellope "Ya could also TEACH us lessons too, if ya wanted!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's been YEARS since that tennis court has had an good use to it! King Candy mostly hogged it to himself! We all wanna pay but save for Crumbles….we're….REALLY BAD."

"I might take you up on that offer, young lady." Nolan smiled, feeling excited with the opportunity he had been given "Yes! It's a swell idea! I'll do it!"

"YES!" Vanellope cheered "You'll have a GREAT time! Plus….if ya bring anymore of that pie, maybe…."

"Mmmm, the pie? I don't know if I can make it all the time! I mean, I make so much for Felix already!"

"Pleeeease!" Vanellope begged "Make some more, I'll give you full access to the castle gym! I mean, I don't even know what's in there so-!"

"Wait, are ya sendin' him off somewhere even YA don't know about?" asked Ralph "Kid, people are gonna wind up DEAD thanks to you!"

"C'mon! Nolan can take care of himself! Plus, what tha heck could be dangerous in tha castle?"

"I dunno. The fungeon."

"Ralph, it's CANDY. Ya can EAT your way outta there. I can't believe people haven't figure out that loop-hole yet."

"Okay, DEVIL DOGS might attack him!"

"Ya can eat those too…."

"Comes the pit-falls of living in a place made of food…." Said Nolan "Better not invite Gene over kid. The place will be GONE."

"Wait, why does everyone keep sayin' that?" Vanellope said, rightfully confused "What is this about guys? What is it with Genie an' food?"

"AHEM!" Ralph coughed "I hope Nel an' Norwood are out here!"

"YES!" Nolan said loudly "We should keep looking for them!"

"Maybe they're by the back." Said Vanellope "I think I heard-!"

"MMPH! Stupid freckle-faced chub-monster!"

**FREEZE.**

"Mmmph! Fro-tastic Sassy-Pants!"

WHAT PERFECT TIMING.

Kiss, kiss. Hands on hips, hands on back, more kisses.

NEL AND NORWOOD.

And in an instant, Ralph pulled Vanellope's hood over her head.

"_**MMPH! RALPH!"**_

So THAT'S where the two had been.

"Did you REALLY just call me after your stupid CAT?!" Nel said.

"You're the original Sass-Master, short stuff!" Norwood responded as he pulled Nel closer to him but then he looked up.

And noticed the group before him.

"OH! OH MY PROGRAMMERS!"

"Gah, Nolan!" Nel cried out, quickly turning around and turning even redder than the ginger man next to her "I-!"

"WE WERE-!"

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"

"I WASN'T HURTIN' HER, I PROMISE!"

Nolan said nothing, the pie still in his hands, his eyes looking forward.

Ralph tiptoed back, pulling the racer with him "Vanellope?"

"_RaLFFFF! I can'f breef!"_

"We need to leave. **NOW.**"

The pie slid from Nolan's hands, landing on the ground with a sick sounding SPLAT. Norwood looked at the pie, realizing it wouldn't be long before he would be in a similar shape on the ground.

"_Aw CRAP."_

The entire game went dark as Nolan's eyes went as red as his glasses, fire burning behind him.

"_**GAME. OVER!"**_


	9. Coconut Creme

Chapter Nine– Coconut Crème

"So how has the pie baking been going?" asked Taffyta as both she and Vanellope sat on the side of Soda Springs.

"It's been great!" the vanilla racer chirped, her smile bright and wide "I never knew so much could go into making even the SIMPLEST pies!"

"Sounds like things are going a lot better than I thought."

"Yeah, it has been…." Vanellope said, her voice softening a bit "It's been goin' a lot better than _**I**_ thought."

The two fell silent for a moment, the soft spray of the rolling waves and fizzing bubbles echoing in their ears. The strawberry girl made a quick glance, noticing that Vanellope seemed to falter a bit. She was still smiling but there was something to her smile that sparked her curiosity.

"Vanellope? Is something the matter?"

"Taffy…." The girl said "Can I ask ya a question. I really, REALLY big one?"

"Er, sure." Replied Taffyta "What is it that you wanted to know?"

Vanellope rung her hands together, feeling worried as the question lay at the edge of her tongue.

"_What…..what did it feel like?"_

Taffya blinked, baffled by the question "What did _**WHAT**_ feel like?"

"_When King Candy was here…."_

Taffyta felt the hair on the back of her next stand on end; why did Vanellope always come to HER for questions about the former monarch? Why did EVERYONE come to HER for questions about the man?

The strawberry racer felt a bit of sickness come to her stomach but she remained still "What about HIM?"

"When he locked up our minds.._."_ The vanilla racer continued "_Could ya actually feel somethin' weird?"_

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Taffyta said, a slight growl to her voice.

"I just wanted ta know." Said the other girl "I mean….I always felt that somethin' was off but I couldn't put my fingers on it! It was like as I dreamt, some memories kept poppin' up but I didn't know what they meant."

Taffyta's eyes began to darken. She felt as if she knew what Vanellope was implying and it was something she was not comfortable with.

Of course Vanellope wasn't the only one who felt 'weird' once the reset had happened. Of course Vanellope wasn't the only one who had odd dreams, odd reoccurrences of memories of the past, of what their lives SHOULD have been like.

But Taffyta hated being asked those questions. She hated it because people were so quick to turn it around, to act as if she had any CONTROL over what King Candy had done to the game, as if she had helped him do any of it.

Vanellope's request for her own view on what had happened might have been innocent enough but for Taffyta it was as if more salt was being poured on the wound for her. She wanted to move forward for once, not be dragged down by the arcade as was happening.

"I can tell you in truth, Vanellope…." Taffyta said, her voice rough "Yes. Yes, when the lock was reset, I DID feel lighter. My mind felt clear."

"It did?" Vanellope asked, Taffyta nodding her head "W-Wow. I just never thought we felt tha same thing."

"King Candy had us ALL under control." Taffyta growled "I wish that were something people here would actually believe."

Vanellope caught onto Taffyta's tone, sensing that she was getting angry at HER….or maybe several people.

"Hang on there, Taffy. Sounds ta me like ya don't believe ya….."

"I am NOT implying that, Vanellope." The girl said, her hands gripping her gloves.

Vanellope smirked "Oh, I get it. Still a lil sore from that joke I made 'bout executin' ya?"

Taffyta's blood began to run hot.

"Ya know it was just a joke, Taffy! A joke! It didn't mean-!"

"I GET IT VANELLOPE!" Taffyta roared, the force blowing Vanellope's hair "Hahaha. Funny joke! I got the funny joke! Your jokes are ALWAYS so funny!"

Much to her shock Vanellope ducked a bit, never seeing the strawberry racer in such a rage. At least not before the reset.

"Whoa, don't bust your brows!" Vanellope meeped "Nice ta see ya have a sense of humor but-"

Vanellope looked up; it was a little scary to see Taffyta crack so quickly when such a question was thrown towards her but given the nature of it, she realized that perhaps it was still a little bit TOO soon to go about digging up ghost from the past.

Especially ghost who had done so much to EVERYONE in Sugar Rush.

Taffyta looked down upon Vanellope, her anger ebbing only slightly.

"Urgh, sorry about that…." The girl said, sitting back down in her seat "Guess I'm tired from this place being so busy recently."

The vanilla racer rose back up, not sure if things were as fine as they seemed "Er, no problem I guess."

Such a volatile reaction wasn't expected, the once happy mood well destroyed in an instant.

But why? Why would Taffyta react in such a way? Vanellope was asking her from the heart, no prying or playing.

"_I just wanted to know…."_

Taffyta looked over, Vanellope turned away "WHY did you want to know?"

"I just wanted to know what it felt like because….well, after everythin' that tha Nicelanders have been tellin' me, he put them through a lotta stuff too. 'Course that was back when he was still TURBO but still, I-!"

"Even if I told you, even I told the arcade what he did to us would it really matter what I said?" Taffyta sniffed arrogantly "Would it really matter what ANY of us said?"

"Us?"

Taffyta flipped her hair daintily "He came in, he locked up our memories, he lied and we followed. We're the bad guys and we'll always be the bad guys. And you're the sweet, perfect president who was wronged by all. The end, who cares."

"Taff, that's not it." Vanellope said, becoming a little cross with Taffyta's answer and tone "There's more to it than that. There is always more to it than-!"

"No." the other racer said, looking right into Vanellope's eyes "THAT. IS. IT. We don't have our own story because we're not worthy of it. We're just the characters who were too stupid to fight back against Candy, remember? We were all too dumb which is why we're just bullies, remember?"

Vanellope had heard those terms thrown around before from outside the game. She had always kept her mouth buttoned on the subject but she had no idea that such words had wormed their way into Sugar Rush, least of all into the minds of the other racers.

_In the mind of Taffyta._

"I'm not tryin' ta joke with ya on this…." Vanellope said "Like I said, I've been learnin' so much about what Turbo an' so many people have been doin' in this arcade while I was stuck here….I….I just wanna know if anyone did tha same ta ya?"

Taffyta looked over, Vanellope's eyes looking just as upset as her own. She knew when Vanellope tried to snark her way through something but this time around, things were different. Vanellope seemed to have her ears open to hear what the racers had to say but Taffyta?

Even she couldn't find the courage to really tell Vanellope everything. She knew Vanellope WANTED to listen, she would be the first person who would do so, but would it really matter what she had to say? Would anyone want to listen to her or the other racers at this point? The only thing people saw them as were Vanellope's tormentors. The fact that King Candy had messed with their code, had lied to them, had molded them into his puppets had become lost in all the fervor upon Vanellope's return. Once she had appeared, no one cared what King Candy had done, only what the other racers had done. It was if had things gone their way, they would say that the racers were the ones who turned Vanellope into a glitch, not Turbo.

Maybe it was the time she had been spending with the Nicelanders but something was starting to open up within Vanellope. She had loved the glitz and glamor that she had been given upon her return but once she saw that even she could make mistakes, that even she could fall for lies and in turn act wrongly upon them, she learned the importance of LISTENING, listening to EVERYONE no matter their role, no matter their job but most of all how easy it was for ANYONE to get pulled into a mess.

It didn't matter if Vanellope was princess, president or whatever powers she had.

She could still fall victim to a trap.

Vanellope wanted to listen to the other racers but sadly, they were not ready to open up to her.

The sun was beginning to set, the racer knew Ralph would be waiting for her.

"Taffyta?"

"What?"

The vanilla racer got up "I just want ya ta know….if somethin' is wrong, if someone is messin' with ya guys….I'm here. I'll listen. An' I'll do whatever it takes ta make it better."

Taffyta knew in her heart that Vanellope was telling the truth but another part of her was just struggling to swallow it down. Turbo had already used her before, had already made her out to be his fool.

Could Taffyta trust ANYONE again? Even Vanellope?

"If I have anything…." The strawberry girl said "If I have anything, I'll let you know."

Vanellope waved her hand weakly as she left Taffyta at Soda Springs, a grey cloud over her head as she left for Niceland. Ralph was waiting there for her as usual and she made certain to put on a smile as not to arouse his suspicious.

One friend was upset, she didn't want another to become gloomy as well.

"So Stink-Breath." She called, her voice cracking just a tad "Whoooooo-OOH! Is on the list tonight?"

"I believe we're gonna see Roy, tonight." Smiled Ralph was he led the girl into the apartments.

"Anythin' I should know 'bout him?" Vanellope asked, noticing the color leeching out of Ralph's face.

"UH."

"…..Ralph?"

"All I'm gonna say is this…." The big man said as he carefully knocked on the door "Just do what he says. It'll save EVERYONE from headaches."

That didn't sound too good.

"Hold on, I'll be there in a second!" called a somewhat worried voice from the other side of the door. There were a few loud clanks and tumbles heard, several locks creaking loudly.

"_Geeze, I think the man has more locks on his front door than we have on our golden coin reserve!"_

"_Vanellope, shhhh."_

The door finally opened and before the two stood a rather nervous looking Nicelander in a finely pressed grey suit.

"Ah, right on time."

In fact, mostly EVERYTHING about the man was grey; his eyes were grey, his remaining hair was grey. Vanellope peeked over his shoulder, seeing that his entire apartment was a mixture of soft blues and grey.

NICELANDER ROY: GREY.

"I am SO sorry!" the man apologized quickly, brushing off a few strands of unseen lint from the nearby lamp stand "I was preparing myself for tonight's meeting but I was so worried! I was worried if the ingredients were fresh enough, or if I had the right milk or-!"

"Mr. Roy, it's okay!" Ralph said, wondering if he and Vanellope would EVER get invited in "I can bet that you'll do find in teachin' us-!"

"DON'T COME IN YET!"

Both guest stopped in their tracks, Ralph posed PERFECTLY STILL with one foot in the air.

"Sorry, but no shoes on the carpet." Roy panted "It's just….it's just something I have to follow."

"O-oh…." Said Vanellope, kneeling down and taking off her shoes "Is this better?"

"Mmm, hold on." The Nicelander said as he ran out of view for a moment, only to come back a few seconds later with some large rags and strings "Better safe than sorry…."

Vanellope let out a squeak as Roy stooped down and dusted off her stockings.

"Hey! I'm sure those things are clean! I have like a million pairs an' they're always-!"

"Ralph?"

The big man looked down confused "Yeah?"

"Just lift up your foot for s second…." Roy said.

"Er, sure…."

Much to Ralph's surprise as soon as he lifted his right foot up, Roy tied the giant's foot with one of the clothes as if to create a makeshift sock for the man.

"AH!"

"And now the left."

Ralph as shaking a bit from being unbalanced but he did what he was told, Roy repeating the action to his left foot. With Ralph's feet now covered it seemed like everything was perfect.

"Aah…." The Nicelander sighed "Well, step one is done!"

"Step ONE?" Vanellope said, a brow arching "How many step do we hafta do before we get ta pie?!"

Roy didn't answer the girl as he had already made his way into his study, a few more things clinking and clanking around him.

"Don't worry you two! We'll get started once everything is perfect!"

Vanellope was starting to feel a bit skeptical about THIS session.

"Okay, when ya said that Roy had his quirks about him, I didn't think ya meant it like this!"

"Give the guy a break, kiddo." Ralph said, rubbing the back of his neck "It's not like this is somethin' we can make him stop doin' in a snap. He's always….he's always been kinda funny when it comes ta things like this."

Vanellope looked around, the muted drab colors already starting to get to her.

"Alight. But if he makes us dress in haz-mat suits just ta bake-!"

The girl looked over, noticing a few large books on the coffee table.

"Oh, what's this?"

"Hey now, don't start goin' through things ya know ya shouldn't!" warned Ralph "Ya know how NEL reacted when I looked at her sketchbooks without askin'!"

"It's not like I'm gonna STEAL it, big guy!" Vanellope pouted "Sides, everyone knows tha rule! If it's out on the coffee table, that means everyone is welcome to it!"

"I'm sure that rule is bull but-"

Vanellope carefully walked over towards the large book on the table, noticing that it was aligned PERFECTLY with so many things on the table.

NICELANDER ROY; SYMMETRICAL.

"I wonder what this is?" the girl through to herself, opening up the book to find….

"Pictures?" said Ralph.

Vanellope looked back, surprised so see her friend standing over her "I thought ya said it wasn't a good idea ta put your nose in everythin'?"

"If he gets mad, I'm just gonna say that YA enticed me ta do it."

"Fair enough…." Snorted Vanellope "But look at all these pictures."

It was still a little odd for Ralph to see the things that the Nicelanders had collected and kept over all the years. For so long, he had expected them to hold the same things, to live the same way, and to just be copies of each other but as the pie sessions had taught him, all the Nicelanders had their own stories.

_As well as their own problems._

The pictures looked old in Vanellope's eyes, the snapshots a bit faded but they were all lined up perfectly within the plastic coverings of the book. Roy's curly and meticulous handwriting was a little hard for Vanellope to read, the girl not used to such displays of cursive.

"_Geeze, what does it say?"_

"I think it says 'Opening day'…." Ralph said.

"Oh, so you can translate this secrete code? I was startin' ta think I needed a special ring an' some sort of glasses or somethin'!"

Ralph looked around, already feeling nervous for when the Nicelander would make his return and catch them in the act but as he looked down upon the photo album he could not help but become sucked into the photos that he saw. All the Nicelanders had their own photo books and it was each one that Ralph wanted to see. He wanted to see them because he really did want to see what things looked like from a Nicelander's point of view. He had never thought it would come to such a turn but as things had been happening….

"Scoot over…." Ralph said, taking the album as carefully as he could in his hands "I'll read what I can."

Vanellope turned the page, more faded pictures showing up.

"There's Ms. Lucy an' Mr. Tony…." Vanellope said "An' Felix too!"

"Yeah…." The man said, a little smile on his face "Heh, now I'm startin' ta 'member all that stuff! I think out of all of us, Felix was the most excited ta get started with work! He just couldn't BELIEVE what powers he ha-!"

"Ralph!"

"What, WHAT?" the man asked as he looked down.

"Is….is that YOU?!"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Ralph looked closer at the photo….and it was true.

He WAS in the album.

And not just in the background, a figure who haplessly wandered on frame as the Nicelanders went about other things.

Ralph was in the photos….with Felix AND the Nicelanders.

The man could not believe what he was seeing. When were these photos taken? WHO had taken them?

Considering that in most of the photos Roy was out of frame, HE must have been the mysterious photographer.

"Ralph….do ya remember this?" Vanellope asked as she looked up at her friend, curiosity written all over her face. Ralph thought hard, he thought back as far as he could.

What was the first day like again? What was that first YEAR like?

"I…."

The man could remember so little. It was so long ago….but the pictures were right there in front of him, their story playing out before his eyes.

He WAS with the Nicelanders and Felix, he was with them as if there was nothing odd about a bad guy conversing with his fellow game mates. Of course, Ralph was looking about sheepishly but he was still standing with the little people.

"Golly…." The man gulped "It really has been a long time, hasn't it?"

What had happened? What had happened that would cause such a drastic turn within the game?

Ralph had blocked everything out but now he was trying all he could to remember. He WANTED to remember, if only to know the real reason why he and the Nicelanders would split apart if they had no trouble from the start.

"There's gotta be more!" Ralph said, turning the pages quickly "There's gotta be more in this!"

"Hey, watch out!" Vanellope meeped, nearly falling on her face "Ya almost took me out there, big guy!"

"Sorry but I have to know what these pictures mean!"

"Ralph!" Vanellope shouted, though she made certain not to arouse Roy's attention "First ya don't want me ta look at this thing an' now you're on the verge of RIPPIN' it!"

"No I'm not!" the man said, trying to hold the book away from Vanellope's reach but she glitched up to him, her little hands grasping onto the opposite side.

"Yes, you are!" she growled "Put it back before we get into trouble!"

"We're not gonna get into trouble if ya just let me have it!" Ralph fought back, pulling back hard.

"RALPH! Stop, you're gonna-!"

"Is there a problem?" said Roy, exiting his room just in time-

_***RIIIIIIP!***_

Just in time to see the book rip in two, each end held tightly within Ralph and Vanellope's grasp.

Everyone fell silent, the two guest going white as ghost as pictures fluttered through the air like snow. Roy said nothing, looking at the two as they tumbled to the ground, the remains of his photo album hitting the floor loudly as more photos became scattered about. Ralph was the first to look up, gasping loudly as a picture hit him in the face.

One with Felix standing with Roy.

"OH NO!"

"AH! I'M SORRY!"

Both Wrecker and racer sprang to their feet, going after photos like chickens reaching for grain.

"I-I didn't mean for things ta go like this!" said Vanellope, hoping she wouldn't step on any wayward photo that ended up under her feet "I-I just wanted ta-!"

"It was an accident, it was an accident!" asid Ralph "Sorry sir, I got too nosy with tha pictures!"

Roy continued to stand before the two, awestruck at what he was witnessing. He looked back at the tattered remains of the book.

It was ruined, it was destroyed. All his perfectly aligned pictures; the time it had taken to put them in order, to create a story with the years that had passed and gone by.

**WRECKED.**

The man gulped, wringing his hands together. Ralph and Vanellope continued their mad dash before him, knocking over a few things here and there in his neatly laid apartment.

"Oh please oh PLEASE, I hope I didn't lose anythin'!" said Vanellope.

"Careful with the prints, Ralph! Careful!" said Ralph.

"Guys?"

"O-Okay, did this one have a tear BEFORE or AFTER I got it?!"

"Guys."

"Was there a double of this one?! I think there was!"

"GUYS!"

It was such a strange thing, to hear Roy raise his voice in such a way. Ralph was used to being yelled at by GENE but never ROY!

He HAD to be in trouble now.

"S-Sir?"

The photos finally landed on the ground, the Nicelander in grey the only calm head in the apartment. He stood up straight, taking a deep calming breath as he looked around. His apartment was a mess alright but he knew things would not get any better if he….

"_I can't panic with this….."_

If he had reacted in a way that Ralph was much more familiar with.

Ralph looked over at the tiny man, watching as he slowly walked to the middle of the mess. He kneeled down, picking up pictures so calmly and carefully. If anything, it was that action that made the two feel even more nervous. Had they upset the man so much that he was refusing to talk to them? Someone had to say something.

"A-ah, sir?" Vanellope said, a small shiver going through her "I…."

Roy looked up at Vanellope.

She knew those eyes.

Only a while ago, TAFFYTA had given her the same look. It was a look of something aching right to the very core of a person's code. Vanellope wasn't able to help break through with Taffyta.

"_Oh, great…."_

What made her think she could do the same with Roy?

But to both their surprise, Roy seemed calm. This wasn't the man that Ralph was used to seeing, so panicky and worried at the slightest thing.

"Sir?"

"It's alright kids…." The man said, his voice soft "There's no reason for you to get yourselves in a tizzy over this…."

Ralph and Vanellope looked at each other, watching the man clean up the album and place the remains back onto the table. Even with the two halves of the book, Roy placed them neatly in alignment as if they had been there the entire time. And the photos.

"I don't think there's a single one missing…."

Split into two perfectly symmetrical piles right before their eyes.

Roy had his way with things, even when they were wrecked.

Ralph couldn't help but feel horrible as he watched the little man make his way into the kitchen, saying nothing as if the album hadn't been touched at all.

"Geeze sir…." The wrecker groaned "I…I didn't mean to roughhouse with your things like that."

"Yeah, me neither…." Vanellope echoed "Guess s'what I get for not askin'."

His back still towards the two, Roy couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

What was he supposed to do now? It wasn't as if he had the nerve to tell the two how he was really feeling about the sudden action. He HATED when people messed with his things, when something was forced out of place and put into disarray before him.

He had a system, a system that made his life tolerable.

Roy had expected things to get a little messy with the two, he knew what was going to happen when he invited Ralph into his home. The man wasn't that foolish to think that his pristine place of rest would end up as clean as it was when the lessons ended.

But he hadn't expected of all things to get wrecked, of all things to get torn, was that book.

"_What do I do, what do I do?!" _he thought to himself. He was doing well enough to play fine on the OUTSIDE but inside the man was a mess.

"Mr. Roy?" Ralph said, walking carefully towards the man "Is everything alright?"

Roy nervously jumped a bit as Ralph stood over him. A grin was forced on his face but he held out his hands before him.

"E-Everything is fine young man! I-I'm just getting the ingredients we need to make our pie!"

Vanellope wasn't so sure; the tone that Roy was using was one that didn't give her any reassurance. She knew the man was upset.

"D-do ya want me ta call Felix?" the girl suggested, walking towards the Nicelander "He can fix your book up, Lickety-Split!"

"M-Maybe later…." Stammered Roy "I-I know he's probably busy! I wouldn't want to impede on his evening!"

"I'm sure I saw Felix not too long ago talkin' with one of the ladies…." Ralph said, hoping that he could get things repaired as quickly as possible "Let's go out there and find him before-!"

"Young man, it's quite alright!" Roy panted, his cheeks turning red the more nervous he became "Felix doesn't need to come rushing towards me for EVERY little thing! Programmers know he's done that for us long enough!"

The two guests looked down at the cowering Nicelander. True, of all the little people Roy did seem to have to confide in Felix more often than the others but to see him turn down Felix's help like this? It was starting to remind the big man of some of the other reactions he had gotten from the group.

They had all stated they wanted to stop depending on Felix so much but in so many of the cases Ralph had seen, they were starting to turn down LEGIT things that Felix was well-suited for fixing, things he would have done without a second thought or annoyance.

Something was going on but was it in Ralph's right to ask?

Roy dabbed his sweaty brow with a handkerchief, letting out an eight-bit puff of air. What a way the night had begun.

"Oooh, I shouldn't behave in such a manner as this." He said as he turned towards the ice-box, wanting nothing more than to change the subject but as he looked through, he noticed something important wasn't there.

"Oh, PIXELS!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

Roy continued to search through the fridge, the two seeing a small pout on his face.

"I knew if I kept this up, I would forget something. All this worry and I forgot the eggs? What is wrong with me?"

"So….no pie?" Vanellope frowned sadly "An' ta thinks, I LIKE coconut."

"Ah, do not worry young lady. You'll get a chance to bake."

"So you're gonna make an EGGLESS pie?"

Roy adjusted his bow-tie, looking up at Ralph "You know where we have to go."

Vanellope blinked "Stink-Breath?"

Ralph couldn't help but grin, his mind sparking as he knew where the three would soon be going.

"Hey kid…" the man asked "Wanna know WHY Nicelander pie taste so fresh?"

* * *

The group found themselves outside but Roy lead them towards the back end of the apartments, far from the spying eyes of any player.

"Say, where are we goin'?" the girl asked "Ya two have been so hush about it! Like it's some portal or somethin'!"

"I can't promise it'll be that fantastic…." Roy smiled "But if you like chicks…."

*PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!*

Vanellope rounded the corner only to stop and let out a gasp, her eyes wide and bright.

*PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!*

High pitched peeps, clucking.

"Ch-chickens?!" Vanellope stuttered, unable to keep her excitement down "YOU GUYS HAVE CHICKENS?!"

"Like I said…." Ralph smirked "These guys go outta their way to make sure their pie is FRESH."

Roy bent down, carefully reaching in to check for eggs "It's okay girls. You don't have to worry about falling bricks or windows. We're just here for a few eggs."

Vanellope couldn't hold still as she looked upon the chubby, tiny chickens and their even smaller chicks, the yellow things looking like blobby balls of yellow fluff.

"AAAAAH!" she squealed "There are so many of them! So cute!"

"Here." Roy said, taking hold of Vanellope's hand and placing one of the chicks in it. The racer was speechless as she held the creature in her hand. It was as soft as a marshmallow but even smaller, like so many of the Nicelander things.

*PEEP!*

"So ducks, cats, chickens…." The girl smirked, trying her best to play coy "Ya gotta zoo or somethin' here? What else has Ralphie been hidin' from me?"

Roy inspected the eggs, making sure the ones that were chosen were perfect for the lesson.

"_No, no….this one is too light. The yolk hasn't had long to settle…."_

Had the man heard her? He seemed to be lost in his concentration.

"Uh, Mr. Roy?"

The Nicelander still did not respond, looking this way and that for the right eggs. If it wasn't good in his eye, it went back into the coop and the next would was pulled out.

"_Hmmm, right weight. Shell color is good."_

"Roy?"

Roy jolted that time, Ralph's voice the thing needed to snap him back to reality.

"Oh, did you say something?"

"Heh, I don't think ya hafta go THAT far for us!" Vanellope smiled as she put the chick back into the coop "I'm sure any egg is just as good as another."

The Nicelander gave the girl a grave look, as if he could not believe what she had just told him.

"YOUNG LADY….." he said, his voice sounding deep and strong "When making pie, you cannot settle for mediocrity! You cannot settle for just ANY ingredient at any grade!"

Maybe a nerve had been struck. Whatever the explanation, Roy looked SERIOUS.

The man stood up, his eggs in his basket as he led the two back towards the apartments.

"I was hoping that the previous lessons had rubbed off on you." The man said, looking back only once "That you would take into account the time and effort that goes into the preparation of the PERFECT Nicelander pie!"

"We have sir, we have!" Vanellope said, trying her best to keep up "I didn't mean that ta sound like I-! We-! You just throw ANYTHING inta a pie tin!"

"You're darn right I don't!" Roy said sternly, the tone coming off as a bit of a surprise towards Ralph who was so used to seeing Roy so worried and paranoid.

It always threw both off when Nicelanders behaved in any way other than 'silly'.

There seemed to be a bit of a pout on Roy's face as he marched his way down the halls "I've bet you've been talking to DON, haven't you?"

"Considerin' we already baked with him, yes?"

"I love him. He's family…." The man said as he opened the door to his apartment "But programmers, I'm willing to BET he went off on MY methods again, didn't he?"

"Would it make you feel any better if we said NO?" Ralph grinned painfully.

Don DID say a lot of things during their session with him, MANY THINGS.

But for the grace of all things good, the sailor seemed to purposely have left out a lot of details on his older cousin and perhaps for good reason. Now ROy was starting to get upset, more upset than he looked when his photo album was ripped in two.

"He's just like everyone else!" the man huffed, dropping a few of the ingredients on the counter rather roughly "Why does EVERYONE here have to behave like they live in BARNS? Do they not understand the steps I have to take in order to ensure that my pie comes out palatable for everyone? For FELIX?!"

Roy turned on his heels, eyes closed and finger up.

"There are so many things you have to take into consideration! Things that the others do not realize are of great importance!"

"Er, such as WHAT?" said Ralph, moving out of the way before Roy trampled on his toes.

"ONE, the weight of the pie! It cannot be too heavy otherwise it would slow down Felix's reaction time while in gameplay! TWO, the pie cannot be lop-sided in anyway thus preventing an even distribution for Felix to consume it! THREE, the pie has to have the correct amount of ingredients and nutritional value! It cannot contain dairy per Felix's intolerance to milk! It must not be too fattening or have too many calories, or else it would cause Felix's reaction time to become sluggish! IT MUST-!"

"Hey, slow down!" Vanellope said, stepping in front of the man "WOW! Felix wasn't kiddin' when he said ya guys take pie so seriously!"

"It's what I have to do." Roy nodded "It is my responsibility young lady, my JOB. I must ensure that everything is right, that everything is perfect."

"Felix hasn't complained a bit, so I'm sure it's safe to say that he's think ya guy are doin' alright!" smiled Ralph but Roy wasn't too sure. He knew that the two were being polite about it but POLITENESS couldn't cover up the fact that Roy had to make sure that EVERYTHING was covered.

He had to make sure that his pie was one hundred percent pixel perfect.

"If you think it's that easy…." The Nicelander said, a little glint in his eyes "Let us being."

Perhaps setting up a challenge with Roy wasn't the best of ideas.

In no time at all, Roy had prepared the counter, making sure that everything was centered and leveled.

"No young lady!" the man scolded "You have to make sure everything is even!"

"I was sure I had that right…." Vanellope said, looking down at the dough she had just rolled.

"Here, this is what you can do." Roy said as he moved alongside Vanellope, taking some wax paper and placing it over the pile "You see that?"

Vanellope and Ralph looked as best they could to find the fault that Roy could apparently see.

"Noooot really?"

"There are air bubbles in the dough!" the man corrected "You can tell just by how uneven the dough is."

"Ah, ya might have better vision than I do…." Vanellope said, rubbing her eyes "Cuz I can't see anything!"

"This is all you have to do." Roy said as he took the dough and folded it back neatly, pressing it out carefully and gracefully with eah flip he gave it "Let it settle, let it deflate just a bit….."

Ralph and Vanellope looked on, watching the dough settle into a blob of a mass on the counter but Roy then took the girl's hands.

"WHOA."

"Instead of just BLAZING through with the rolling pin-" Roy said, gently guiding Vanellope "Just roll over it slowly, carefully. See, everything is even now…"

Vanellope looked down, finding that the man was right. The large unsightly bubbles that were once there were no gone.

"Okay, see what ya meant there!"

"And Ralph?"

"Yes, Roy?" the Wrecker said, holding the large bowl of cream in his arms.

"Don't stir so roughly! You want to keep the coconut milk from causing a reaction with the lemon juice and eggs! They'll actually separate and CURDLE if you mash it like that!"

"Then how am I SUPPOSED ta mix it?!" Ralph said, feeling just as panicky as Roy usually appeared to be "I'm still new to this method! Don't leave me hangin' like this!"

"Now don't fret, it can still be saved…." Roy said, adding just a tiny pinch of lemon juice to the mixture "This should be enough to keep things flowing but not too much to turn this into LEMON pie."

"Wow, you really have a system goin' on, don't ya?" Vanellope laughed.

"Think of it like this." Roy began as he started shaving the coconut "You're a racer, correct?"

"Yeah?"

"And you make certain that your car is in tip-top performance?"

"Of course!"

"Consider my pies in the same fashion." The man said, checking the coconut flakes over "Making sure I am there for Felix when he requires them is just one part of the job. If the pie is no good, then what is the point? I might as well be serving AIR to the young man if I just wanted to give out anything!"

With the coconut thoroughly inspected, the Nicelander pushed the pan over to Ralph.

"Sugar, please."

"Here ya go." The wrecker smiled, handing the smaller man the sugar jar but Roy shook his head.

"No, no, no. BROWN sugar please!"

Ralph turned back to the spice cabinet, seeing that there were various jars labeled and lined up neatly in the space.

Including SEVERAL jars of brown sugar.

"Er, WHICH ONE?"

"The fine grain, second from the left." Roy pointed "You're going to need it for the next step."

"Really? What am I gonna do?"

"Just take a bit between your fingers…." Roy said "And sprinkle it over the flakes. That way when we toast them, they will caramelize!"

"Ya know what surprise me 'bout ya guys?" Vanellope said, sneaking a taste of the coconut filling "Ya seem ta LOOOOVE sweets just about as much as we do!"

Roy smiled, or at least Vanellope THOUGHT he smiled. With the grey Nicelander it was often hard to tell.

"I will admit, I do have rather the sweet tooth. Just have to be at caution not to eat too many sweets. It's not good for the body you know."

"Heh, says you."

"I think I got this." Ralph said, feeling a little nervous as he sprinkled the sugar atop the coconut shavings. Roy was proving to be quite the task-master and the last thing the wrecker wanted to do, especially after the incident with the photo album, was mess up a pie.

"Did I do it right?"

Roy looked over the flakes, eyes going here and there as he checked each one. Was he counting just how many grains were on each piece.

"_Hmmmm…."_

"Well?"

"Pretty good for a first timer." Roy nodded in approval "They're ready for the oven along with the crust."

Ralph let out a relived sigh, wiping his brow and forgetting he still had some sugar on his forehead.

"Ah, thank PROGRAMMERS!"

"Wet-wipe…" Vanellope said as she glitched up to Ralph's forehead, wiping it with a wet cloth "An' what about me Mr. Roy?"

"We're going to put the filling in for its first chill cycle." The Nicelander said "Ralph, I already set the oven on so just put the crust and the coconut in together. After about ten minutes, take the coconut out."

"Will do!" said Ralph.

"Roger!" said Vanellope.

Roy might have shown to be more methodical than the others when it came to his process but once their assignments had been done, the two guests felt a sense of accomplishment come over them. More and more, their sessions were feeling both like a chance to meet characters but also like a new mission; baking a pie not just to eat but to see what it took to bake them like a Nicelander.

They had to admit, it was a lot different than what they had expected. They had both expected things to be easy, to be so simple but each Nicelander had their own pie, their own way, their own process to ensure that it came out the best.

No wonder Felix enjoyed their pies so much.

"Heh, betcha wished ya had more help in here, don'tcha Mr. Roy?" Vanellope smirked proudly but there came no reply. She looked over, seeing the Nicelander had returned to the coffee table, looking at the torn album.

"Mr. Roy?"

"Oh goodness…." The man mumbled to himself "Maybe I should get another book or-?"

"Mr. Roy…." Vanellope said, glitching over to the man "Ya sure ya don't want us ta get Felix on this? Just one hammer tap an'-"

"It is alright, young lady." The man sighed "It is alright. Besides, it's not like the first time this thing has been in trouble."

Ralph looked down, noticing the way that Roy was clutching onto the many pictures "Care to explain?"

"It's just such silly things…." Roy said "Me being so paranoid when it comes to organization and holding onto things. I know keeping things like this seems pointless but-!"

"POINTLESS?" Vanellope said "What's so pointless about keepin' pictures like this, 'specially when they mean so much ta ya?!"

"Whoa, settle down kid…" Ralph said, putting a hand gently atop her head.

"I guess SOME of these pictures mean something." Roy peeped "Some? Well, some are just things that came with the game. You know, backstory filler. Stuff to remind us that we do have a past from SOMEWHERE."

The Nicelander stopped, a small smile coming upon his face.

A smile?

"_Silly things…."_

Vanellope blinked at the sight, wondering just what the man was laughing at "Sir?"

"Oh, you were going to ask anyway. Might as well show you some of the things in here, both pre-programmed and otherwise."

"YEAH! More silly photos!" Vanellope cheered, making herself comfortable on the couch "Are there any BAY-BEEEE shots of you we're gonna seeeeee?"

Roy blushed horribly "Oh GOODNESS, no! I mean-! Yes, there are some pictures of myself as a youth but I am NOT going to-!"

"Aw c'mon!" the girl grinned "Captain DOOOON showed us all sorts of WONDERFUL pictures of you as a kid! Like all the pictures of him shoving you in the mud!"

Roy frowned, his cheeks still blushed "He WOULD show you those things…."

"Kid, don't push it." Ralph moaned but Vanellope pulled his overall strap.

"C'mon big guy! This is comedy gold!"

"So Don thinks he can play, huh?" the grey Nicelander huffed "FINE! He wasn't the only one given such DELIGHTFUL pieces of nostalgia!"

Roy flipped through the tattered pages, pulling out several pictures.

"Take a look at THIS!"

Eyes were wide as they looked upon the faded pieces of paper, each snapshot more hilarious than the next.

DON! Stuck in a fence with Roy crying five feet away!

"_AAAAH! ROY STOP CRYIN' AN GET ME OUTTA HERE!"_

"_Mommy! Donnie is stuck again!"_

DON! Hanging by his pants from a tree, Roy with his face in his palms!

"…_.Roy?"_

"_Donald, I told you that branch was weak."_

DON! Getting chased by ducks, Roy looking on in embarrassment five feet away!

"_BUT DUCKS LIKE BREAD! DUCKS LIKE BREAD!"_

"_Donnie…."_

DON! Doing various idiotic things as a child, Roy just wondering when it would all end!

Vanellope erupted into laughter, Ralph tried his best to hide his grimace.

"And he acts as if he's so mature…." Roy said "Mature my left foot. I'VE always been the one getting that fool out of trouble, in-story and out!"

"M-man!" Vanellope giggled, wiping a tear from her face "This place is NEVER borin' is it?"

"You think this grey hair is NATURAL?" Roy said "I might be the oldest between the two of us but it's HIM! It's HIM! He made my code go grey! I was programmed with BROWN HAIR! Even worse he goes about going 'Hawn, hawn, hawn! Guess we BOTH know what it's like to be GREY, eh cuz! Oh ho ho ho ho!'"

* * *

"Almost got it, almost got it…." Said a certain sea-themed Nicelander, working diligently on his latest ship-in-a-bottle project.

_*Ding!*_

In an instant, the man felt his ears starting to burn, the sensation sending a shiver down his spine. He drop his tweezers on the table, looking around as if some sort of ghost had appeared before him.

"…_Roy?"_

* * *

"Geeze, you two sound like Minty an' her sisters." The little racer smiled "Always gettin' in trouble an' stuff. But at tha end of tha day? Ya'd still hang out with him, right?"

"What can I say?" Roy shrugged "He'll always drag me off SOMEWHERE."

Vanellope looked through the pictures, feeling the warm hominess that came with it.

"_I hope I find my family pictures one day…"_ smiled Vanellope.

"Say what young lady?"

"Oh, nothing." Said the racer but her mood changed "But what was this about your album gettin' inta trouble or somethin'?"

"Yeah…." The Nicelander said, his voice sounding nervous "There was an….incident."

"What KINDA incident?" asked Ralph.

"Nothing that would concern to you, I'm certain of it." Roy said, looking down at the more recent pictures "Just some…just some stupid Nicelander havoc, that's all."

"Roy, if there is anything I've learned, aside from how ta make enough pies ta last me ta eternity of course, it's that there are some stories I NEED ta hear." Ralph said "Ya may think it's stupid but I'm here to lend an ear!"

There were no words to describe how Roy was feeling at that moment. He just couldn't fathom the idea that of all the people in the arcade, RALPH was more than willing to listen to his story. After all, this was the guy that Roy had feared so much from afar, the man whom he was convinced wanted nothing more to do to the Nicelanders than to wreck them just like the apartment.

He was a _**BAD GUY!**_ And as Roy had experienced first-hand, Bad guys don't listen to NPCs!

Don't they?

Roy looked down at the album, seeing some of the photos Roy had taken so many years ago.

Ralph was in those….and there was a reason for that.

There was a reason for EVERYTHING.

A great wave of unease came over the Nicelander; should he tell Ralph the truth? Should he dare reveal what had happened in the past? He had overhead his neighbors going on and on about how well and respectful Ralph had treated them, how he was such a good guy, how he-

"I-I…."

Was it really that important?

"Y-You see…."

Would Ralph and Vanellope care?

Roy felt his hands shake, his mouth dry.

It always happened like this. The nervousness was welling up, his mind going crazy inside. That flush of worry that would always hit him, that feeling that things would only spiral down into panic if he lost control, if he couldn't get his grip on it and keep it in line.

He couldn't tell Ralph the truth! It would result in the same thing to happen over and over and-!

"They stole it."

"Huh?" Vanellope said, barely able to hear the Nicelander's hoarse words "They did what to it?"

"It was years ago. Years before your time…." Roy said, his back toward the others "I don't know how they got in but…."

He had started, and Roy never left a task unfinished. He had to keep going.

"They knew my weaknesses….." Roy said "They knew it. They knew it and the used it."

"Who knew your 'WEAKNESS'." Asked Ralph.

"Various people. So many people. They had watched me. They knew that I hate when things are out of order, they knew that I can't stand it when things get misplaced. I can understand it when people make mistakes around me, people always do. I learned to cope with THAT."

Heavy hands laid upon the album, Vanellope seeing them twitch.

"But to just USE it? Again and again, like it's some sort of JOKE?"

Roy turned, holding the two halves of the book in his hands.

"Someone knew about this. Someone knew that I took pride in keeping photos of all our times together. That's what I love to do."

"So you like takin' pictures?" said Vanellope "That's neat."

"I do it because I want to keep something to treasure, to keep something to remember the good times…." Roy continued "Because if the game went out of order-"

He paused, a lump forming in his throat.

"_Like it did that night…."_

Ralph felt his cheeks burning; yup. THAT night.

"I want to hold onto some memories to remind me of the times when we were happy. That's why I even hold onto the ones that were programmed with the game. I know some of the others might not take them too seriously. I mean, they tell of memories that aren't really there but they remind me. They remind me that I DO have a family, that there is MORE to my past than just pixels. It might not be flashy but it's there."

Vanellope thought back to her own game, her own home. There were still so many things missing that she needed to find, like pictures and other small artifacts of her story.

_All the racers' stories._

"But I guess that's where my weakness got the better of me."

"What happened, Mr. Roy?" Vanellope asked "What did they do?"

"Someone got in here. I really can't guess how but it was a night when we were all out. When I came back, this place. The ENTIRE apartment was trashed, things turned upside down, clothes everywhere."

"Ya mean they ROBBED ya?!" Ralph growled, feeling some anger.

"No, they didn't ROB me. They just threw everything into a complicated mess because they KNEW it would drive me crazy." Said Roy "You….you can't imagine it. Just coming in one day, finding your entire world has been turned upside down and for what reason?"

Vanellope felt a pit forming in her stomach, Roy's words haunting her.

"NO reason at all. They just thought it was funny to see me tear my hair out to get things back together. I was SCRAMBLING to pick up the pieces, nearly made myself SICK cleaning up."

Roy felt itchy, his skin prickling. He shuddered, resisting all urges to scratch.

"I just can't take it, Ralph! I can't! It felt like EVERYTHING had come out from under me when they did that! And it wasn't just once!"

"It wasn't?" Vanellope blinked in astonishment.

"NO!" Roy stammered, looking frantic "The other's helped me clean up once but then a week later! It happened again, but even worse! We clean up, and they prank me again! It was like week after WEEK they came back!"

Ralph leaned over "And your apartment was the only one they did this to?"

Roy was wringing his hands tightly but he nodded.

"So many years of getting things together, so many hours spent on making sure it all fits right, all fits PERFECTLY! RUINED IN MOMENTS!"

"A-and the book?"

Roy turned towards Vanellope, seeing the worry in her eyes. If he hadn't known better it was almost as if Roy were looking in a mirror.

"I always managed to find it. It was in a new spot every time but after some hunting we would find it. Sometimes it would be in the bathroom, sometimes in the closet. They even left it in the OVEN on one occasion."

"G-Good thing they didn't turn it on."

"Oh, I think that if they HAD it would have given them away." Roy nodded "I mean, have you seen or SMELLED the smoke photo paper gives off?"

Roy shook his head, the memories painful.

"But on one night, we COULDN'T find it. We searched EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER! But it was nowhere to be found! It wasn't in MY apartment, it wasn't in Don's, it wasn't in ANYONE'S!"

"Then what happened to it? Where did ya go ta find it?"

"_**I**_ didn't go out to look for it." Roy said "_**FELIX**_ did."

"He did?" said Ralph "How?"

"To this day, I don't know…." The man said in a sheepish tone "I've asked and asked and asked but even now, he won't tell me HOW he got it back or WHO he got it back from. All I know is that one night, Felix had come home rather late. We were all getting worried to his whereabouts since back then, it wasn't like him to just up and stay out without giving us so much as a call."

Ralph began to think back, think back to those first few years. He did recall a time when the Nicelanders had gathered out near the apartments, the group chittering on and on about Felix. He had wondered why they were so worried but if that was the night Roy was talking about, perhaps the reason was about to be given.

"But in he strolls, a smile on his face and something in his hands."

"Your book?"

"Yes." Roy said in a soft voice "He had my album. He hands it to me, stating that I wouldn't have to worry about people coming into the apartment again to mess with my things. I was so elated to have it returned, to find that not one of my pictures had been messed with, ripped or torn! It was if nothing had come to harm to it! But…."

"But?" asked Ralph.

"I looked up. He was trying to hide it but…."

"Felix was trying to hide WHAT?"

Roy rubbed his forehead, his brows wrinkling in worry.

"As I looked up at him, I noticed a little discoloration on his forehead. He tried to brush his hair to cover it, tried to tip his hat over it but it couldn't escape my eyes. I check over EVERYTHING and I saw it. He had a bruise on his face and it was at that moment I realized just what type of 'search' Felix had put himself through in order to retrieve my belongings."

Roy felt so guilty going back to the past, looking at the photos before him. He noticed that the pictures he had taken with Ralph in them had stopped. They had stopped during that time, that time he felt that bad guys would hurt him.

Bad guys like Ralph.

Ralph on the other hand was just amazed at the stories he had been given. Roy was yet another case of a Nicelander having to deal with someone outside the game trying to bully them, doing whatever it took to 'put them in their place'. It was just something so amazing to hear.

All these years, Ralph had thought that the Nicelanders led such easy lives, such easy jobs. All they had to do was hand out pie and Felix would thank them and they would return the favor to him.

He had no idea there was so much BEHIND their dependence of Felix though, so much behind why they valued their pie and their jobs.

Because if they didn't have Felix, they wouldn't have anyone else.

And Felix? Felix was going out of his way to help the Nicelanders, going so far as to land himself in harm's way to help them when they were unable to help themselves. The Wrecker wondered if the repairman would do the same for him but then he stopped.

He HAD done the same for him.

That night. That night when the game went out of order. Felix could have waited, he could have sent out someone else to get him when he had gone missing but Felix went out to search for him, at his own expense.

Like he had done with Roy's album.

Roy looked over at the stove, realizing that he had taken much more time than he thought.

"OH GOODNESS!"

"What, what is it?" Vanellope said.

"The coconut!" the man cried out, rushing over to the stove. He yanked the door open, gasping out as he looked inside "Oh, PROGRAMMERS!"

"Is everything alright?!" asked Ralph "Nothin's burnt is it?"

"The crust is fine…." Roy mumbled "But the coconut is RUINED!"

"It is?" Vanellope said as she looked down. True, the coconut came out a lot toasty than what Roy had wanted but from her view, it didn't look too bad.

"Urg, this is TERRIBLE!" Roy whimpered "That's what I get for running my mouth like a jibbering idiot!"

"Roy, Roy. Calm down." Ralph said "Everythin' seems fine to me!"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" the little man shouted, feeling the urge to throw the pan on the ground "It HAS to be perfect! IT HAS TO BE!"

"B-But it's fine!"

Roy felt as if the room was spinning, his knees shaking under him as the weight of the mistake piled atop him.

"But it can't be overcooked! If it is, that means that Felix will taste nothing but BURNT and BITTER coconut on his pie! Then what will he think of me?! That I don't care?! That I don't appreciate EVERYTHING that he has done for us?! W-we have to make it again! B-But that would take too long! Everything has to be ready now, it has to be-!"

"It tastes good…." Vanellope said as she munched some of the pieces on the pan. Roy was panting, his cheeks bright red but he looked over.

"W-what?"

Vanellope took another handful of coconut, finding that they were indeed tastier than they seemed.

"You're worried about 'em bein' yucky? They taste great a lil crispy like this!"

Roy was astonished. He was certain that he had ruined the pie but from the way Ralph and Vanellope were now snacking on the toasted flakes.

"Mmm, you're right kiddo." Said Ralph "An' that sugar added to it."

"Y-You…. You think they taste okay?" panted the exhausted Nicelander.

"Yeah! What's there ta worry 'bout?" smiled the racer "Felix would LOVE 'em like this!"

The Nicelander wasn't too sure of things. For years and years, he had made sure to keep his pie recipe the same. It HAD to be in order, it HAD to be just right for Felix to enjoy! One shift and everything would be thrown out of balance, everything would come apart and break in his hands.

Everything would break….just like his apartment, just like his album.

_But if Ralph and Vanellope liked it….._

Roy reached down, his chubby fingers still shivering from his near-break but he took a flake or two. He then put them in his mouth and then…

"…_.Goodness..."_

"Mr. Roy?"

"I-I guess you're right." The Nicelander in grey smiled "They…they do taste good!"

"Ha, I KNEW ya'd like 'em!" laughed Vanellope.

"The extra heat allowed them to gain a level of crispiness that I could have never imagined…." Roy said "They aren't too chewy nor are they too hard. And with the combination of the cream, I'm sure they can-!"

"Sir, I'm certain that any pie you make would turn out fantastic." Said Ralph. Roy looked up, as if he couldn't believe the wrecker were giving him such a kind compliment.

"You really believe that?"

"I do." nodded the big man "Felix would love this!"

Felix would still enjoy the treat, even if it wasn't as perfect as Roy wanted? Was it even possible?

Ralph seemed to enjoy it, Vanellope seemed to enjoy it.

Then maybe….

After the cream had been put in and left to chill, the group decided to see if such a conclusion were true.

* * *

"You want me to have the first bite?" asked Felix.

"Yeah!" smiled Vanellope "I mean, ya are tha one with tha golden taste buds!"

Roy was much too nervous to say anything, having trouble even looking at his neighbor.

"Try it! Roy wanted to do somethin' a lil different with his recipe this time!"

"Oh?" said Calhoun, a brow arching "Maybe I should have a slice as well."

Now Roy was REALLY nervous! If Felix didn't like his pie, he would hate to imagine the reaction that the marine would give him!

But two slices were cut, the pie was put on the plate….

"_Please, please, please…."_

Felix and Calhoun raised their forks.

"_Please don't hate it!"_

They took their first bites.

"_It was just a mistake! Just one mis-!"_

"Hmmm." Said Felix.

"Wow." Said Calhoun.

Roy lifted his head, seeing the looks on the couple's faces. They were not looks of disgust or anger.

"Heh, like what ya did with tha pie!" beamed Felix.

"Hmmph, not bad at all." Smiled Calhoun, trying her best to play tough.

Was this really happening? Did Felix enjoy the pie, even with the mistake that had been made?

"Y-You like it?"

"'Course I do!" laughed Felix "Mmm, BOY! I don't think I can ever get tired of all this pie! 'Specially with this crunchy coconut on top!"

Roy didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to feel. Was he happy, was he stunned? Maybe he was a mixture of both but one thing was for certain, he had never felt so proud in his life.

Felix didn't think less of him for the mistake, he didn't think he had failed nor that he had ruined the pie.

Felix was HAPPY!

And if HE was happy, then so was Roy!

"Thank you, young man." The Nicelander said "But…but I couldn't have done it without these two."

"Awww, ya don't hafta give me ALL tha credit!" cackled Vanellope.

"Two. He said TWO ya knuckle-head." Ralph smiled.

Calhoun gave a grin as she cut another slice of pie "See? I KNEW doin' somethin' like this would help!"

"I-I guess you're right…." Said Roy "I guess you're right."

The next morning, Roy awoke feeling a lot better than he had felt in years. While he made certain that things were still in order, still right where he had left them he didn't put much fret into it as before.

Order was still his priority yes, but he felt a little lighter, a lot happier. He felt a little freer knowing that things would be okay. That even if there was just a slight bump in the road, he could always recover from it.

Maybe Roy was a lot stronger than he thought.

"Roy?"

The man turned, seeing Don standing at his door "What is it, Donald?"

"Have you checked your mailbox?" the sailor said "There's this weird package sticking out of it."

"Oh?" the Nicelander in grey said "Whatever could it be."

The two men walked to their mail boxes, a large box jutting out from Roy's. The bright pink wrapping paper stuck out among the other colors of the apartment so it wasn't as if it would be that hard to see.

"Where do you think it's from?"

Roy could smell sweet scents coming from inside, his mind going to one game.

Sugar Rush.

He took the package out of the mail box, carefully and neatly peeling back the paper to reveal….

A photo album.

A brand new, sugar and candy encrusted photo album.

Roy was quiet, his eyes glued to the object in front of him. He had all but forgiven Ralph and Vanellope for what happened to his old album the night before and after getting such rave compliments from Felix he had actually FORGOTTEN about the book. But apparently, Vanellope had not, a note tucked away in the pages. Roy unfolded the brightly colored stationary, reading the scribbles on it.

_Dear Mr. Roy!_

_I had a great time baking with you last night but when we left, I remembered that we didn't get your album fixed! So I asked the guys to gather their favorite candies to decorate THIS one for you! It's big enough to hold all your old photos plus there's plenty of room for any more you want to take! Show us some funny ones, I would LOVE to see them!_

_Sincerely_

_Vanellope Von Schweetz_

_PS- If you ever want fresh coconuts for your pies, come down here! We have coconuts the size of Ralph's ginormous head so they would last you a long time!_

"Is that from Sugar Rush?" asked Don, scratching his head "Heh, interesting choice in decorations."

The grey Nicelander nodded, trying his best to hold back his tears as he smiled.

"Sh-she's just a kid. Th-this is what she likes." He laughed softly "I-it's perfect….."


	10. Plum

Chapter Ten- Plum

It was late into the night that Saturday, many in Litwak's were out among the halls, people taking advantage of the precious off hours they would get that following Sunday morning but inside Fix-it-Felix Jr. things were much more quiet.

Unlike a few previous nights the apartments, all of them, were hushed and still. No one was creeping in to play pranks on the Nicelanders, no one was up worrying about what would come towards them the next days.

For the first time in days, everyone was sleeping peacefully.

Inside his shack Ralph and Vanellope were still, both having dozed off from the movies they had been watching. While they were ready to bake again with the Nicelanders, the Nicelander they were looking for in particular was nowhere to be found. Throughout the entire week, they had waited for her, they had searched for her.

But she was always missing, always gone.

Was she avoiding them? Had the actions of one Vanellope Von Schweetz sealed her thoughts on the girl, on the wrecker? Did she view both of them as unforgivable for what they had done, what others had done in their name?

Vanellope had worried about those thoughts, worried that it was possible and even if she was President, even if she were a main character, she felt horrible that such a thing had happened because of her. Others might have brushed It off but knowing how quick people were to go on the attack at HER mark, it was something she couldn't hide away so easily. After talking with all of the Nicelanders, the little racer was starting to understand just how much power she now possessed and not in the means of anything physical, but rather her words. People would do anything on her whim, including going after people whom they thought had wronged her.

But in this case, Vanellope had not been wronged. Ralph had not been wronged.

It was a rumor, and it was a rumor that had almost made things worse for the little eight-bit game.

Vanellope could try all she wanted to hide it behind a grin or a joke but she could not stop feeling bad because in a way….

She had almost pulled something King Candy had done in order to get to HIS position.

If anything, the entire ordeal had shown Vanellope that just like everyone else, she was only one person. One person who could fall and fall quickly.

She was determined though. She was determined to correct the mess that she had caused, to stop people from acting out and, most importantly, to make promise to her own words.

She had made a promise to Calhoun that she would bake with ALL the Nicelanders and that was something she was going to see to the end!

But for right now? Now it was time to sleep.

The two were on the floor, the TV still on, the soft light filling the little house, nothing stirring…in the house at least.

Tiny feet tip-toed through the grass, eyes going to and fro.

_Be light, be agile, be quick._

The crickets chirped, the stars blinked and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. It was wonderfully dark, perfectly dark to sneak around.

_Tip-toe, tip-toe._

"_Just gotta make it through the back…."_

The figure walked past the Wrecker's shack, only making a quick turn to make sure no one was awake. It was late enough and Ralph was indeed asleep so all things safe.

At least they did for a moment.

Vanellope twitched, she turned, moaning painfully in her sleep.

"_Mmm, no."_

Dreams?

No, a nightmare.

She had been having a lot of nightmares lately. Some were just random things, brought on by indulging in too many sweets but others were far too real.

Cybugs, viruses, monsters. Her friends crying out for her, everyone becoming lost and trapped as she could do nothing to help them. It didn't matter if she could glitch, she could not reach them. She could not help them.

And there he was.

That familiar grey face, jutting yellow teeth in a terrible smile, piercing eyes…

Turbo.

He was there, laughing, cackling, standing over her like some sort of unearthly monolith of horror. But it wasn't so much that he was there that made everything worse.

It was WHAT he said to her, every time, that made Vanellope rise from her bed, screaming in fear.

"Just like me. You're JUST like me!"

"NO!" Vanellope would cry, looking all over for any means of escape but it was hopeless! She could not run from his terrible shadow "I'm not like you! I'LL NEVER BE LIKE YOU!"

"You say that…." The former racer chuckled "But what have you done, PRINCESS?"

Faces began to form around Vanellope, faces that soon became familiar.

_Stop it!_

_STOP IT PLEASE!_

_WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE US ALONE?!_

_WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!_

_S-STOP! I-I DON'T LIKE THIS!_

The voices were familiar because for the past few days, she had spent time with them. She had baked with them.

The Nicelanders?

Why were they so upset?

"Y-You hurt them! NOT ME!" Vanellope shouted, feeling as if her feet were stuck to the ground "TH-they told me everythin'! THEY TOLD ME WHAT YOU-!"

"Ah, but that is in the past is it NOT, princess?" Turbo grinned, his teeth dripping "WHO is the one leading the pack now, sweetheart? WHO was the one who sent everyone after them?"

The girl's heart sank once she realized that Turbo was right. He might have done horrible things to the Nicelanders in the past, to many NPCs and characters….

But in the present?

Vanellope had led the charge this time.

"Just like me!" Turbo cackled, clapping his hands "JUST LIKE ME! JUST LIKE ME!"

"No, I'm sorry!" the girl begged, tears streaming down her face "I just wanted to make Ralph happy! I didn't-!"

*GLITCH!*

The girl gasped, looking down as she began to glitch but there was something wrong.

*GLITCH!*

Something VERY wrong.

She chocked, looking at her hands as they glitched once more, the rosy color flickering to that of a pale grey!

"_N-no!"_

In another glitch, her clothing had changed, her skirt gone, her tights disappearing, all and everything replaced by a white jumpsuit. Her ribbon pixelated and faded, her hair was shoved and tucked under a helmet.

"NO! I'M NOT LIKE YOU!"

"You'll be running this place just like ME in no time!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU!"

"BIT OFF THA OL' BLOCK!"

"STOP IT! I'LL NEVER BE AS CRUEL AS YOU! I'LL NEVER-!"

"TOO LATE!" Turbo roared, shoving Vanellope to the ground, large chunks of shiny pixels rising from the ground "You cannot take back what you have already done! That is what is said here! So accept it Vanellope! ACCEPT WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME!"

And what had Vanellope become?

As she looked at the reflections, each one warped and jagged, she had become her greatest nightmare.

_**SHE HAD BECOME TURBO.**_

She touched her face, touched her clothes. It felt real, it had to be real.

"_I'm not like Turbo…"_

His laughed filled the air.

"**I'M NOT LIKE TURBO!"**

**TURBO-TASTIC!**

"_**AH!"**_

She awoke.

Vanellope sat up on the couch, her skin cold and her eyes wide. The TV glowed an errie grey but as she looked down at herself…

She was still Vanellope. Not a sign of Turbo to be seen.

"_Urgh, monkey-poo…."_ She breathed out, relieved to find that the terrible nightmare was over.

Ralph was fast asleep, so peaceful, so content. She smiled at the sight, glad to see that someone she cared for was safe and happy.

_*SWISH!*_

"_W-What was that?"_

The girl shivered, her spine tingling as the wind blew outside. She could feel the coldness in the air and she could feel the presence of someone else nearby. The images of her nightmare flashed in her mind, making her stomach turn.

Maybe her nightmare was much more real than she hoped.

"_It…it was a dream right?"_ she gulped _"Y-yeah! It was just a nightmare. It couldn't have been real, it couldn't have been true."_

A few seconds of studying the shake seemed to confirm that there was nothing to worry about. No one else was inside and no one else was out.

Things were just fine.

"_M-Maybe I should try goin' back ta sl-!"_

_*SWISH!*_

_And then she saw the shadow._

The girl leapt to her feet and rushed to the door, a hand placed hard on the surface as she tried to listen in. She could hear the footsteps, they sounded like they were getting closer, closer, closer!

Who would come to Ralph's shack at this time of night? Someone else who wanted to make trouble in Niceland?

Vanellope was aware of the things people liked to do to the Nicelander and she wasn't going to let it continue, not anymore!

"You've just come ta tha wrong house BUDDY!"

Vanellope quickly glitched through the door, ready to attack!

"_**GOTCHA!"**_

The figure turned, seeing the flying figure of Vanellope coming towards them! The only thing the girl could see was a small, stout shadow, and wide shocked eyes!

There was almost contact!

ALMOST.

"_Up jump."_

The figure ducked for a second, as if they had anticipated Vanellope's move!

"Oh, WAIT!" cried Vanellope, given only a second to look back.

And-!

_**CATCH!**_

"OOF!" cried the girl.

"WHOA!" cried the figure.

Vanellope let out a shout as she rammed right into something SOFT, something SQUISHY. She felt herself fall towards the ground but arms had grabbed upon her, holding her tightly.

"Ah! WHO IS IT!?" flailed the racer, not expecting to get caught up so suddenly. After all, SHE was the one out on the hunt, not the other way around!

"That's what I want to know!" said the voice, Vanellope not recognizing it.

The girl was in a scramble to get up. She rolled the other way, getting back on her feet and standing on her toes as if she were prepared to strike.

"Show yourself! I'm not lettin' ya cause any trouble ya-!"

"Is that…..Is that the kid?"

"WHICH KID?!" Vanellope growled, feeling the urge to do some wrecking herself.

"Oh, Vanilla-Whip. Vanilla…Vanellope!"

The girl paused, the rather bright sound of the voice catching her off guard.

"…..Who are you?"

The unseen figure sighed heavily, reaching up to adjust their glasses "And here I was to think that I was in the clear. I guess I should have gone the OTHER way."

Vanellope walked back towards the door, her hands reaching for the front light switch. She flicked the button, Ralph snorting as the sudden eruption of light hit his eyes.

"URGH! ARTIFICIAL LIGHT!" he growled, covering his eyes.

The light was dim but it was bright enough to reveal the figure before the racer. Vanellope nearly dropped, shocked to find before her none other than-!

"M-M-M-MS. DEANNA?!"

"Wait, Deanna?" Ralph jolted to wake, looking everywhere "WHERE'S Deanna?"

All sleep was blown away once he saw Deanna standing not a yard from the entrance. It took him a second or so for his mind to fully comprehend what was going on but as soon as it did, he snapped to.

"OH!"

And up onto his feet he rose, bonking his head on the ceiling.

"OW!"

"Hey, don't wreck your own place…." The woman said "I think Felix will be too sleepy to fix it tonight."

After a few moments of stammering and stuttering, Ralph finally managed to get Deanna into his home, the Wrecker and the racer filled to the brim with questions for her.

"What are ya doin' out this late at night?!"

"Where have ya bee all this time?!"

"How did ya do that?!"

"Does Gene know about this?! Does Felix?!"

HOW?

WHAT?

_**WHY?!**_

Through it all, Deanna was the most reserved, most calm character in the group. She sat before both Ralph and Vanellope, sipping the milk she had been given as they franticly threw questions to her, left and right. After all this time of wondering, after all this time of waiting the two had finally managed to catch Nicelander Deanna.

But what in the arcade was she doing up THIS late?

"I…I was startin' ta think that ya didn't EXIST!" Vanellope said, a slight smile on her face "Every time we came by, you're GONE."

"Well, I do have my business to attend to." Deanna said with a smile, drinking her beverage gracefully "I do have to apologize though. I should have been around for the sessions. But I guess things just got carried away."

"WHERE?" asked Ralph "Just…WHERE?"

"I have places to go." The Nicelander responded, folding her hands neatly onto the table "I mean, I MIGHT be a Nicelander but there are still some people who find my company pleasant."

"Er, I didn't mean it that way ma'am…." Ralph grimaced. He was starting to feel a bit on edge; Deanna was working him the way she did EVERYONE. Even if she didn't hang out with Ralph by CHOICE in the past, he could still feel her presence even ten feet away.

Deanna….Deanna was DIFFERENT, that's all Ralph could really think.

There was just something about Deanna that painted a different picture than the rest of the Nicelanders.

What did she really share in common with the other Nicelanders?

Well…she was SHORT. And CHUBBY. And SHORT and CHUBBY, there was that!

And she also baked pies for Felix, there was that as well.

Outside of that, if she were the first Nicelander a person would have met, she would have made them rethink EVERYTHING about the little characters.

Ralph remember when he had called her by the wrong name, many-a times, and the feeling of DREAD he got only seconds later. It wasn't the same feeling someone gets when they feel bad for making a mistake. It was something much DARKER, much more SINISTER.

As if Ralph felt that when he turned his back, Deanna would be right there….

Waiting for him…

Watching him….

Lurking in the shadows and ready to pounce…..

_Possibly with a knife clutched in her tiny hands._

"_GAH! Steady Ralphie boy!_" the man thought to himself, giving himself a mental slap but he looked down again.

_THOSE EYES._

Deanna's freakin' eyes!

She might have had a smile on her lips but it was if those eyes said something else.

They said 'Ask me anything else and Felix is going to find your REMAINS in the rose bushes, BOY.'

"Was there something you wanted to say?" Deanna asked, Ralph frozen.

"UH._ Noooo?"_

And then it became silent once more.

Deanna looked around, noticing that Vanellope and Ralph were casting their eyes AWAY from her as much as possible, as if they were SCARED of her.

What a turn for a WRECKER to be scared of a NICELANDER.

Even the crickets needed crickets for their silence at this point but by know Nicelander Deanna knew what to do. She folded her tiny little fingers together neatly on the table, she sat up straight and tall.

"I bet you guys still want to make a pie, don't you?"

Ralph looked over "Huh?"

Deanna made a little nod with her head "The pie. I still have to make it with you."

"Er, yeah…." Meeped Vanellope "W-we HAVE been waitin' on ya for a while so…."

"Hmm, wouldn't want to break your flow." The woman said, her voice so smooth yet so cold at the same time "Let's go."

"Wait, WHAT?" blinked Vanellope "NOW?"

"Yes. Now." Deanna said, getting up from the chair as she prepared to go "When I want to make pie, I make pie."

"But…it's nearly _**THREE IN THE MORNIN'!**_" said Ralph as he looked at his clock "Who in the arcade makes pie that late."

"_**I**_ do." Deanna smirked, her eyes flashing in the light "_You have no idea how FUUUUUUN things are when they're done late at night..._"

The two characters felt as if the walls were starting to close in around them, as if some shadows were ready to grab them. Vanellope reached for Ralph's hands and inched closer to him.

"I'M SCARED."

"Sh-she's sweet…." Ralph said as he pated the girl's head "She-she's nice, I swear."

* * *

"See, that didn't take so long did it?" The woman said as she unlocked her door, having lead Ralph and Vanellope through an invigorating challenge of sneaking through Niceland without waking the others.

Invigorating.

That was quite the word for it. Vanellope and Deanna might have been able to sneak around but being as big as he was, Ralph was more or less forced to WORM his way on the floor, his sides hurting a great deal by the time he even got to Deanna's apartment.

"I think I rolled on someone's KEY." The man moaned, checking his sides for any bruises "Or SEVERAL keys…."

"And here we are." Said Deanna, walking in first as the other's followed. Vanellope shuddered, ready to come face to face with whatever horror she had gotten off of Deanna but to her surprise.

NEAT.

The apartment was NEAT.

There wasn't too much to say about Deanna's home. It was…..typical. Just the residence of a single woman with a simple job. There was a couch, a dining table, some cliché little things here and there, some family photos on the wall filled with characters who were only mentioned in passing between the others.

"Must be her family…" Vanellope whispered.

"Yes, they are." Deanna answered, able to hear the girl clearly much to her dread "Go ahead darling and look. I don't mind at all."

Vanellope and Ralph were used to seeing the backstory-inspired portraits on the wall but seeing them with Deanna?

Even in youth she still had that glint.

She still had that look.

"I think I have seen the end of times in her eyes…" Ralph shuddered "Please pull me back out so I can return to the land of the living."

"What was that?"

Ralph nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard Deanna call to him "A-Ah nothin'! Nothin' at all, ma'am."

The Nicelander made a nod as she began to gather the ingredients for the pie. Even from afar, Vanellope and Ralph were just awestruck by what they were seeing. Deanna was being so cool, so collected even if she was to bake at such odd hours of the night. She hummed a tune as she went about, picking up her needed tools.

"_Should I get the eight-inch blade?"_

BLADES.

Ralph knew better than to go towards a Nicelander who held a BLADE!

"Ms. Deanna?"

The man looked down, realizing that Vanellope was no longer there. She had walked to the kitchen, joining Deanna at the counter.

"KID!"

"Oh, what pie I make?" the woman smiled daintily "It's pl-!"

"Please Vanellope!" Ralph interrupted, lifting the child off the ground "Don't bother Ms. Dina like that! I MEAN DENA! I MEAN-DARN IT!"

"Ralph, it's okay." The woman said in a surprisingly soothing tone "Put the kid down before your squeeze her from BOTH ends."

"H-huh, now?" Ralph said "I-I just wanted ta make sure she wasn't botherin' ya."

"HEY!" Vanellope fidgeted in offense "I wasn't botherin' NO ONE, Stink-Breath! Take that back!"

"Ralph, what would make you think she was BOTHERING me?" the woman asked.

Ralph felt his cheeks burning as he looked down at the tiny woman "Er….ta be honest."

Why WAS Ralph so nervous around Deanna?

The unease he usually felt around the woman was starting to fade. This time around, Deanna didn't look so scary, she didn't look so mean.

If anything, she looked CURIOUS, confused. She wanted to know why of all people RALPH was the one holding back this time. After all, aren't the NICELANDERS supposed to be scared of RALPH, not the other way around?

The man looked up, Vanellope gazing down at him.

"Well?" the child asked "Aren't ya gonna let me back on Nicelander-firma?"

He finally set her down before the Nicelander, rubbing his neck in embarrassment "Maybe it's just the lack of sleep….."

"Ah, sorry about that." Deanna said "I know not everyone here is a night owl like I am."

"Well, I still wanna see if NIGHT PIE taste as good as DAY PIE." Grinned Vanellope "So what type do ya make? Ya were about ta tell me before Ralph nearly threw me through tha roof!"

"Plum." Deanna said, Vanellope detecting a small hint of pride in her tone "My flavor of choice is simply PLUM."

"Oh, sounds tasty." Vanellope smiled, licking her lips "Now do ya slice 'em up or do ya leave 'em whole so ya can stick your thumb in an' pull one out?"

Deanna peered at the girl, as if she had not understood a word she had just said, bringing back the nervousness that Vanellope had hoped had gone away.

"Er, what I mean is."

"Ah, wait. I get it." Deanna said "A little slow on the uptake there."

Deanna smiled again, her cutting knives shining so bright in the light but to her guest's surprise she laid them down upon the counter, striking a graceful pose.

Little Vanellope Von Schweetz.

With big eyes and cheeks.

Was given a Nicelander pie.

She stuck in her thumb,

then pulled out a plum

'Wow, didn't expect that to happen!'

The racer was tickled by the act, snorting loudly as she tried not to laugh too sharply for the others who were snoozing in their beds.

"_M-Ms. Deanna!"_

"Not bad for someone who isn't too keen on poems, eh?" the woman smiled "But that's just the start. We need to get this pie going."

"Yes, ma'am!" the racer saluted as she went over to the woman "What do ya want me ta do?"

"Well, since ya want plenty of plums, I'll have both you an' Ralph take care of it."

"Me?" the Wrecker said innocently, pointing to himself "Ya sure its such a good idea for me to handle somethin' so delicate? I mean, UNLESS ya want me ta mash 'em up."

"No." the woman smiled, grabbing onto the knife once more "I've been watching you guys."

The big man blanched, feeling his heart leap from his throat "Y-Ya HAVE?"

Deanna tipped her glasses down; even her EYES were plum-colored once Ralph saw them in the light.

"I said I was place…just not WHERE, big fella." The woman chuckled "But everyone's given you EASY jobs. Jobs that SUIT someone of your particular talent."

"An'?" the man shrugged, trying his best to look tough before the tiny character "Is there a problem with that?"

"Oh gracious no?" Deanna chortled "But it is so unfortunate."

"UNFORTUNATE?"

"They haven't given you a challenge, young man. And as someone who is touted around this arcade so much, surly you wouldn't mind being handed a little CHALLENGE to make things more interesting."

"….What did ya have in mind EXACTLY."

Deanna handed Ralph the knife but then handed him a bowl of freshly washed and dried plums.

"Felix doesn't talk about it much but I do add something a little special in my pies OTHER than the needed spice to make him go super."

"Oooooh!" Vanellope sang "I was WONDERING what exactly made him go rainbow on us!"

"An' what would that be?" Ralph huffed, clearly jittering on his feet as the woman backed him up near the table, sitting him down.

"Let me show you."

Deanna took a knife and slowly, so so slowly, she began cutting around the fruit. Vanellope and Ralph wached as the woman went to work, cutting the soft, juicy flesh with such care, such finesse that Ralph was certain that the sweet juice of the fruit were still locked inside though the slice skin allowed for the aromatic scent of the fruit to flow throughout the entire area.

"_Whoa…."_

"_Wow…."_

But it wasn't the smell or look that shocked them the most.

It was the SHAPE.

"Ah, there we go!"

Ralph was wide-eyed as he looked before him as in Deanna's hand was no longer a round plum but a daintly cut STAR!

"WOW!" Vanellope said, her hands cupping her mouth "How-! HOW DID YA DO THAT?!"

"Meh, it's just a hobby I got into long ago." The woman smiled, placing the fruit in the bowl "But do you see that, young man?"

Ralph nodded obediently.

"THAT is what you're going to make."

"YOU? Want ME? To make THAT?" the man said in surprise "Ah-HAH, do you see how large these hands are?"

"Do you see how small MINE are?" Deanna smiled "Technically, I shouldn't be able to do very much at all given my particular design of anatomy but I can still do it."

"But you've had YEARS ta practice!" Ralph whined.

"And everyone says you can do everything, so hop to it!"

"Hey, it's not like I AGREE with 'em!" the man protested as the bowl was shoved into his hands "I know my limits! I admit that I have 'em! JUST DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE TH-!"

"Ralph, shush!" Vanellope teased, putting on her apron "Tha others are asleep, RE-MEM-BAH?"

The big man grumbled as he looked down at the fruit. Even if they were not alive, it was if he could hear them laughing at him, mocking him.

Ralph was not going to let FRUIT defeat him!

"Alright, fine. Ya want me ta make Star Plums? Then I will make tha BEST Star Plums ya've ever-!"

_***SMRUSCH!***_

Ralph felt something wet and mushy fall through his hands. Not one second after opening his mouth had he SMASHED a plum between his enormous fingers. He moaned; this was going to be quite the task.

"_I can do this, I can do this…."_

"I never would have taken someone like ya as a night owl…." Vanellope said towards Deanna as she began mixing the dough "I always thought most Nicelanders were in bed by eight or somethin', 'less they had some party ta go to."

"It seems that you are quite the novice on Nicelander activities around here." Deanna said, measuring the flour carefully "Sure, we do have our 'peaceful' nights sometimes but things aren't so still here for long. And even if we find ourselves growing bored, we search for things to do. At least we search as far as we can go without getting into TOO much trouble."

"Yeah, tha others have told me about that…." The girl said, her mood dampening "I guess the buddy system works for ya guys, huh?"

"The BUDDY system?" Deanna replied, something curious about the way she used the word "Ah, you mean safty in numbers."

"Uh, a'course I do…." Vanellope blinked "Unless….unless ya do like ta kick it alone."

"GAH!"

The two looked over, Ralph's face scrunched up as juice ran down his face.

"Careful now. Handle them too hard and they will pop on you."

The man blinked, licking the juice from his lips "Duly noted."

The three then went back to their pie but something had struck Vanellope as odd. When she had mentioned the Nicelanders heading out together as a group, Deanna's response was a bit unexpected, as if the woman were surprised that Vanellope would suggest such a thing. By now, Deanna had once again buttoned her lip, her concentration going right to her work. The racer backed away slightly, noticing how much control and precision Deanna was using. It was like the plump woman was a well-oiled machine and it only reminded Vanellope that the Nicelanders DID work in their own game, that what they contributed was something they worked hard on and what they enjoyed.

It was sad to think that she had almost been convinced otherwise.

"Is something the matter?" Deanna asked, not even looking away from her work "You have stopped kneading."

"AH! I was just-!"

"It's okay kid, there is no reason to be so jumpy though I can't blame you…." The Nicelander said, her voice sounding a little upset this time.

"_Uh-oh, I hope I didn't do anythin' wrong!_" the racer thought to herself "Um, wh-what do ya mean ma'am?"

"What I mean is, I can understand the reason you two have been so skittish around me. Its not like I can't notice it."

Again, another plum was destroyed in Ralph's hands as he had been discovered. He looked over, forcing a grin towards the Nicelander.

"Skittish? Us? No, no, no, NO! It's nothin' like that at all!"

"Then please explain to me the looks of discomfort you had before me?" Deanna said, her voice causing Ralph's knees to knock.

"D-d-discomfort?"

The small woman stopped her work once more and removed her glasses "_Ah, I always keep doing this."_

"Doin' WHAT exactly?" asked Vanellope.

The Nicelander took a breath, regaining herself and her composure. She couldn't lose a beat in front of her guest.

"It's just a bad habit of mine. My mind drifts you see, I become so engrossed in my inner thoughts that I sometimes loose sights of what's before me and what I am doing."

"Oh. That's not too strange at all." Said Ralph "Why would that be a problem?"

Deanna turned, her shadow following her and enveloping the entire area in black.

Vanellope glitched towards Ralph, causing him to wreck another plum "Whoa, whoa, WHOA. DARKNESS, DARKNESS!"

"When things like this happen around you and you forget?" Deanna said "People tend to talk a little out of term about it."

Only then did Ralph understand what Deanna had meant "Hold on a second….are ya tellin' us that ya KNOW people are SCARED of ya?"

Deanna blinked her eyes, the coldness fading away "You can say something like that, young man."

"An'…..an' ya don't want people ta think that way?" asked Vanellope.

"You could say that as well."

The two guest exchanged surprised looks; they had wondered if Deanna was acting out in such a way on purpose, as if she really did mean to scare people.

But perhaps there was something else going on.

"The others, they're always telling me how much they hate having people scare them for no reason." The Nicelander said, dusting the dough with sugar "Me? I got over those immature children YEARS ago."

"So you don't let tha bullies bother ya?" Vanellope said as she walked up to the woman, a smile on her face "Wow! I'm actually really happy ta hear that!"

"I don't have time for bullies." The woman said in a slightly angry tone "I have other things that need my attention and that will NOT be a crowd of folks who seem to think they have the right to knock me about for whatever reason."

"_I'm startin' ta like Ms. Deanna, Ralph!"_

Deanna rolled the dough out, flattening it to the perfect width "I am fully aware to what my programming is. I am meant to be 'saved' by Felix, I am meant to hand out pies. Since day one, I have made that my priority to fulfill and even with so many people, so many faces and voices trying to tell me that I am NOT worth the data I am programmed with…"

The woman rolled her neck back to flick a loose strand of hair from her face.

"I promised myself that I wouldn't let them get me down. I can't."

"Then….why did ya sound so upset back then?"

"Excuse me?" Deanna asked as she looked at Vanellope.

"You're upset." The girl said "I can tell ya are an' I can tell it has somethin'….somethin' ta do with me."

Now the reverse had happened; now Deanna was the one who looked nervous.

"Y-You, young lady?"

"I betcha didn't hafta deal with so many people before I tried ta sick 'em after ya, did ya?" the girl said, sounding a little guilty "I mean, if Calhoun hadn't stopped me, I would be no better than Turbo would I?"

"Oh GOODNESS, no!"

The two looked up, Deanna peering at them with a HORRIFIED expression upon her face but the horror was replaced by anger, the woman going over and taking the racer by her arms.

"Child, let me confirm for you now that you are nothing like that horrible beast of a man!"

"Y-Y-Y-Ya think so?" the girl chattered as she was shaken. Deanna let her go, marching back over to the counter.

"Young lady, I have had many crosses with Turbo over the years. More than I would like to admit and even if you were angry, even if you tried to get people to come to us, what happened with you is nowhere near as bad as what HE and some of his cohorts had done to us."

Ralph simply tossed a destroyed plum over his shoulder into the waste bin, not even giving it a second look "I'm sure ya guys could write a book on ALL of the things he's done ta ya. It would be quite tha read."

"I am not joking, Ralph!" Deanna growled "What he's done to my friends! Some of the things! I know it's against my better judgment but I still find it so hard to forgive him, even after all these years!"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Vanellope asked, putting a hand on top of Deanna's "Ms. Mary….she told me what happened to her an'…"

"Wait." Ralph said, getting up "WHAT did Turbo do to Ms. M-?!"

"Turbo learned the hard way not to touch me, I can assure you of that." Deanna said with a frown "I am very aware of what incident you are talking about young lady and you'd be surprised to learn that Turbo wanted to do a REPEAT of it!"

"NO!" Vanellope gasped, Ralph still confused behind her.

"Wait, I want ta know in! What happened?!"

"He didn't get cha did he?!"

"No." the woman said "By that time, I had taken some 'precautions' due to some other incidents that had happened between myself and the other Nicelanders. Of course they were all humiliating but after the third strike, I had had enough."

Vanellope was starting to see that Deanna was a Nicelander of a different path, one who was not going to take certain things sitting down.

"He came to me one night, saying a…."

Deanna paused, shifting her hips a bit out of the way as she cleared her throat.

"Saying SOMETHING that I have gotten rather used to hearing several well-mannered 'gentlemen' comment around me."

"Huh?" Vanellope said in confusion, not noticing Ralph turning away and coughing into his hand.

"He goes off, starting up his conversation in the usual greasy brand he does it but I paid him no mind. He must have thought that I was being shush because I was scared. I mean, the man had scared so many of us. Roy, Tony, and poor Megan."

"Y-Yeah, we know about her."

"They always went after her the most if they wanted someone to scare, the poor kid." Deanna said sadly "But with the likes of me? They thought they could get away with some 'colorful' compliments towards me."

"What did ya say back?" Vanellope squeaked, standing on her tip-toes to hear more.

_Looks like ya have a few extra pixels in the RIGHT place!_

Deanna's expressions darkened again, the knife lifting in her hand.

"As I said….something I am _**USED**_ to."

"Kid, ya might wanna back away."

The Nicelander began the sugar mix, handing the melted bowl of butter to Vanellope "He puts his hands on his shoulders, tries to be all 'smooth' but then he goes TOO far!"

"EW!" Vanellope cried in disgust.

"Yes." The Nicelander said, huffing as she whipped the glaze mixture "But he put his hands on me for the LAST time after that!"

"Well….what happened?" asked Ralph, surprised to find that he was interested now.

Deanna turned back towards the two, such an evil sneer on her face.

And the room dropped twenty degrees in that moment.

"_Raaaalph?"_

"I take his arm." The woman began as she planted her feet firmly before the two "And then OVER MY SHOULDER HE WENT!"

"WOW!" said Vanellope.

"Really?" asked Ralph.

"If ya don't believe me, ask Tapper's. He has found memories of it that day." The Nicelander said with a nod.

"Dude! That's….that's AWESOME!" Vanellope said "I mean, I've RARELY heard of anyone stickin' it ta ol' Turbs like that."

"It was….it was what I had to do." The woman said "He had already given me great discomfort what he had done to my friends. To MARY in particular."

The room grew quiet again, Deanna's back towards the others.

"But perhaps…."

"Yes? Did somethin' happen after that?"

"Perhaps in my act of trying to protect myself, I had caused more harm that good."

"What, how could THAT happen?!" Vanellope said, becoming exasperated "What BAD could come from-!?"

"He could say something…." Deanna began "He could say that I was cold, that I was mean. And they would believe it."

Vanellope buttoned her lip, her stomach flipping.

"In an act of trying to get Turbo off of me, he STILL found a way to turn it against me." The woman sighed "Even before then, people thought I was the creepy one. The one who will do stuff to you if you don't look."

The guest looked away; it wasn't as if they had felt the same not too long ago.

"But he had his ways. He ALWAYS had his ways…." Said Deanna "Not long after that little flip, I noticed some people didn't want to be around me anymore."

"What?" Vanellope said "Why not?"

"I was the mean one, on top of being creepy." The woman said "Mouths started going on and on about what I would do to you if I got you alone in a room. Sure, people didn't try to scare me anymore, which I will admit? Yeah, it was a plus. But it was just so dang ANNOYING."

Ralph looked down at his feet; boy, did he know how THAT felt. And it wasn't as if the Nicelanders were the only ones who feared him, there were so many others as well. The wrecker could only imagine how aggravated Deanna must have been over the years being the butt of so many jokes coming from Turbo and others.

No wonder she seemed so…..so….

**SO DEANNA-ISH!**

"But I guess that's what I get for messin' with the arcade's idol, eh?" the woman said in a sudden drop of lady-like manner "I try to get him offa me ONCE and what does he do, eh? Spreads it around like I'm sort of demon-lady that'll suck out your soul at night."

"_Ya mean ya haven't tried before?"_

"Aw, Dee-Dee!" Ralph said, dropping all formalities at the moment "Ya know, if that booger was doin' somethin' ta ya like that, I would have given him a good WALLOP!"

"That would have been nice….but it would have been nice had we been on speakin' terms as well."

"Yeah, there was that." Ralph chuckled slightly "But comin' from someone who KNOWS what it's like ta have people scared of ya, I would have ended it right there. No muss, no fuss."

"I wasn't scared of ya, big guy."

Ralph looked down at the woman in her moment of confession "Pardon meh?"

Deanna sat herself in a seat, crossing her legs "I said, I wasn't scared of ya big guy. The other guys? Meh, they had their qualms I know but me? Ya couldn't be scary if your life depended on it."

"Now wait a moment-!"

"If you really want to know…." The Nicelander continued, leaning on the table with her chubby cheeks in her hands "I just didn't want anyone else messing with me. After so long of people saying stupid things around me, I just kind of accepted it. I just threw up my hands and decided 'Okay, I'm the gloomy one everyone is going to make a fuss about or whatever. That's who I am then.' Then again, it's not like I'm the jumpy-bubbly type anyway so what once never bothered me began to bother me TEN FOLDS."

"So ya never went near me for that reason." Ralph said "Because ya thought I'd treat you'd just tha same as everyone else? That I had believed Turbo."

Deanna turned away, her eyes narrowing "So many people bought into it. From the way you kept fidgeting around me, I had assumed the same."

"Are you serious?" Ralph said as he took a seat on the floor "Ya mean ta tell me, all this time? All these years, _**YOU**_ were upset that _**I**_ would be _**SCARED**_ of _**YOU**_? An' what do ya mean by 'FIDGETING'? I've NEVER fidgeted around ya!"

"_*cough!*LIAR!"_

"Well, need I bring up the many WONDERFUL times you've done a complete one-eighty whenever I'm around?"

"Uh."

"Oooor that look on your face when you call me the wrong name."

"Okay…."

"Or the beads of sweat that form on your brow whenever we cross paths? Don't act as if I haven't noticed. I know I wear glasses but my sight is keen in other ways."

"See, this is why people are wary of ya, Ms. Deanna! Ya play 'em like a fiddle!"

"I don't mind people seeing me as mysterious. I mean, a girl has to have allure you know." The woman purred "But I suppose you're right. Nothing good comes from being alone or people talking about you."

She sighed, trailing her finger over the side of the mixing bowl.

"But if Turbo couldn't scare me, he could at least make it seem like I would scare everyone else. And my, has it wormed its way through the wires over the years."

Had it indeed. Ralph knew he had had his worries over Deanna over the years so he could not say that he could be spared from the thoughts. But if there were anything he could say he did, it was that he had made a pie with her and survived!

"How are those stars coming?" Deanna asked as she looked over. Ralph nearly dropped the bowl on the ground but there was little point in saving it.

"Er, I think we should all be thankful WE survived the mash-up."

"Oh, that's fine young man…." The Nicelander said as she took the plums "I was only joking with you anyway. These will go perfectly in the pie."

"They will?"

"Indeed, they will." She smiled, handing the bunch over to Vanellope "Just mix them in with the glaze, alright kid?"

"Will do, ma'am!"

Ralph looked over at the clock, the hour at land late indeed but he didn't mind. He didn't mind at all. Seeing Vanellope enjoying herself was more than enough to keep him up but there was more to it. He had made it this far with the Nicelanders, learning something about them with each pie.

It was ironic; in the past Ralph had WANTED pie and now he was getting it but in the end, it was more than the pie that he enjoyed.

He found that he was starting to enjoy the company of his neighbors, the Nicelanders.

The same people, who not too long ago had hidden from him in fear.

But in some cases, they weren't the only ones who were nervous.

"Say, Ms. Deanna?" Vanellope asked curiously "Why stars? I mean, there must be a reason why."

"Oh…." The woman responded, cleaning off her glasses "I just like them. I can't let the others get super fancy with their own pies, now can I?"

_Deanna?_

_Yes, Felix?_

_Wow, I really liked the star shapes you made with your pie!_

…_..You mean. You mean you noticed them?_

_Yeees, wasn't I supposed ta?_

_They….I just cute the fruit up wrong. They weren't supposed to look like that._

_O-oh. I-I see._

…_._

_Heh, well either way. The pie was wonderful!_

…_.Thank you, Felix._

_I mean it, Dee-Dee! Those stars were not only tasty but ADORABLE as well!_

The woman continued to smile, sliding the pie into the oven.

"I can have my day too, can I not?"

Time slowly ticked away as the three awaited for the pie to complete its baking but Deanna was able to keep the two plenty entertained through the wait.

"An' ta think that MOVIES couldn't keep us up." Smiled Vanellope "This place gets crazy at night."

"Ya just want that pie, don't cha?" teased Ralph.

"I'm makin' it my mission ta leave outta here with EVERY pie under my belt!"

"Keep eatin' em, you're gonna need a new belt."

"Takes one ta know one."

"Keep behaving like that and neither of you will get a slice." Deanna smiled cheekily "I could always take this bad boy to my class."

"Class?" asked Ralph "WHAT class?"

Deanna headed over to the oven, putting her mits on "I think by now it's safe to tell you the truth about everything. Some of the girls already know but if Genie found out? Lil guy would fly through the roof of the entire arcade."

"So Ms. Deanna, what is this class of yours?"

"I wasn't PROGRAMMED with the ability to flip Turbo on his butt. That had to come from training!"

"From where exactly?"

"From some of the top fighting games in the arcade of course!" Deana posed powerfully, the pie still in her hand.

"FIGHTING GAMES?" Vanellope blinked "Ya mean ta tell us that you-!? You go-?! YOU CAN FIGHT?!"

"Don isn't the only tough guy around here!" the woman tittered, flexing her arm "Besides, I already told you. I had gotten fed up with so many people using my height and shape as THEIR advantage so I took in some classes where I could do it on my own accord."

"Ya guys find whole new levels of weird for me…." Ralph said as he dug into his pie "An entire game of FIGHTIN' Nicelanders?"

"I've been to a lot of places but my main hang out? Mortal Kombat of course. They seem to provide me with the best moves on the circuit!"

Ralph nearly choked on a plum when the name of the game came out of the Nicelander's mouth.

**MORTAL KOMBAT.**

At least with Street Fighter and even King of Fighters, Ralph knew the moves were more cartoony and outlandish and most importantly, FREE OF GRAPHIC FATALITIES!

But Deanna taking lessons in MORTAL KOMBAT?

_The fear was starting to rise again._

"N-No wonder she's good with knives."

"Oh that?" Deanna said "I'm good with those things because of my programmed job!"

"An'….what would that be?" Vanellope asked cautiously.

Deanna grinned brightly as she slid the girl a piece of pie "I'm a mortician!"

"_It all makes sense. It's HORRIFIC but it makes so much sense."_


	11. Burnt

Chapter Eleven – Burnt

"How was your day?" Mary said as she went behind Gene, putting her arms around him. The chubby mayor blushed deeply, still finding the amount of attention Mary was giving him both wonderful yet still strangely new to him. The woman hadn't been so close to the man since….

_Well, since the game was first plugged in._

Maybe it was the near out of order that brought her back or how it seemed that things were starting to calm down in the game that did it but Gene, despite his proper air, despite his attempts to flash himself as the prim and posh man he was, he felt as nothing but Mary's little toy whenever she found herself alone with him. Granted though, it wasn't as if Gene DIDN'T enjoy this.

If only the others knew what Mary was like behind closed-doors.

"D-dear, control yourself." Gene grunted, taking her hands gently but she pulled them away, quickly putting them back on his sides "We still have things to do, you know that. Business to take care of, plans to make. We can't dawdle."

Gene felt Mary's lips brushing against his cheeks. She wasn't stopping now.

"What do we have to do?" she whispered, kissing his chubby face sweetly "_Chu, chu, chu. _I didn't know you scheduled times to grump about."

The Mayor's entire body was now red in embarrassment, tuffs of pixelated clouds popping over his head. He growled but Mary held him like a vice, escape impossible no matter what he tried.

"I-I-!" the man stammered "It's Friday! The day we're to hold the NPC Support group, you know that!"

"I know….." the woman in pinked cooed, resting her head upon the man's shoulder "But we have an hour. One hour."

The Mayor gulped; Mary's hold was stronger than Ralph's!

"H-Honey?"

"Yes?"

Gene looked about, struggling to find his words "Is this what you really want?"

Mary blinked, Gene finally able to wriggle himself free to face her "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…." Gene began. He stopped, looking down at his feet as a heavy thought crossed his mind "Darling?"

Mary smiled "Yes, Blueberry?"

"I care for you…your well-being. You know that?"

"That I do." The pie-maker nodded "And?"

"And? And despite that, I haven't done much to bring any ease to your life."

"Goodness Gene!" Mary huffed, forcing the man to turn around "What is this all about? Can you not take a hug without turning it into something so negative? You sound like ROY of all people!"

The little Mayor scrunched up his face in annoyance, crossing his arms in a pout.

"I am NOT like Roy."

"Then why the act?"

"It is NOT an act either." The man grumped "I really do feel this concern over everyone here."

"Sweetie…." Mary said, taking Gene's chubby cheeks into her hands and squishing them playfully "C'mon, just tell me what's wrong."

"Mary….am I really what you want? Or NEED for that matter?"

"What a silly thing to ask." The woman said, her voice teasing the man. She patted his head "Of COURSE I want and need a giant blueberry like you!"

Again with the blueberry comments….

"DEAR."

"Mmmm, you're just so sweet n' squishy to kiss!" she giggled, wrapping her arms tight around the Mayor. Gene let out a little squeal, losing his balance as he fell back onto the ground.

"OOF!"

Gene's Nicelander frame bounced slightly as he hit the floor, Mary still laying atop him in glee. She nuzzled him, wrapping herself even closer around him which only served to make Gene feel even more awkward than before.

"M-Mary, please!" he coughed, arms flailing "Th-this is most unbecoming for BOTH of us!"

The woman gave the man a sultry look as she looked into his eyes "Oh, trapped?"

"Y-Yes! Mary, this isn't funny! I-I can't get up! REALLY, I can't!"

"Oh, stop squealing." The woman chortled, putting her fingers upon his lips "Don't think I don't know. Don't think I don't know this is what you wanted."

"What _**I**_ wanted-?!"

"A night alone with me on a Friday night such as this…" the woman snickered "Just the twooo of us. In the apartments. With no Wrecker or Repairman around…."

The man was turning even redder, his eyes shut tight as eight-bit puffs of steam were popping from atop his head.

"You were programmed to torture me. You were, weren't you?"

"_Maaaaybe…."_

Gene's brows furrowed, his hands reaching up to take Mary's "D-do you think of me to behave in such a crass manner? What type of gentleman would even SUGGEST or THINK in such a wa-!"

"You're lying."

"Don't play with me like this." He said, his voice surprisingly gruff "Don't you DARE play with me."

"I'm not playing…." Mary said tartly "I'm just giving you the thing you've always wanted."

"H-How do you know what I want?" Gene pouted "There are still certain things I have not told about myself, even to you!"

"What more could a chubby, little runt like you want?" the pie-maker smiled as she tapped Gene hard on his forehead "There are only two desires in that mind of yours! Food and s-!"

"_**MARY!"**_

"You don't think I've forgotten the last time? Don't tell me _**YOU**_ have."

"I-I would never do that to you…." Gene meeped sheepishly "I would never be that cold."

The smile that was on Mary's face seemed to fade a bit, as if she were hit with something from within.

Sorrow? Guilt?

Gene found himself drawn in as he watched the sadness come over her.

"Dear, what's wrong?"

"I just keep thinking about everything that's happened. I don't want to let things hold us back anymore." she replied, her eyes closing as she rested atop the man "We've always waited. We've always let others scare us."

His reaction was slow at first but the man moved his arms around, embracing the woman in a hug. It was a little weak at first but the more her words ran through his brain the more he realized how much he wanted the exact same as she did. He clutched her tightly against his frame.

"Cheeky." He snorted, though it was obvious he was covering "Behaving like this and for what?"

"Don't try to act as if you're so big." the woman said, kissing Gene on the cheek "Acting all hoity-toity."

"I have to."

"I know the real you, greedy."

"And I know the real YOU, brat. Now help me up."

"What if I don't want to?" Mary sniffed, looking away.

"_Dear…."_

"Oh, FINE." Mary moaned, getting off the man but rather than pulling him back onto his feet, she simply SHOVED him over on his stomach, the man crying out as his face hit the floor.

"GAH! I KNEW it! I KNEW you were going to do something like that, you big pink brat!"

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Mary snickered, pinching Gene on his sides.

"I am a GROWN MAN. Not your personal PLAYTHING."

"Awww, is the big blueberry upset?" the woman teased, poking Gene on his nose "Chubby-wubby widdle Mayor? Squishy-cheeked baby ma-_**AAAAAUGH!**_"

"GOTCHA!"

Mary was far too entertained by her teasing of the Mayor she didn't watch as he slinked close to her, turning the tables as he had grabbed her. He held her tight, mustache tickling against her cheeks but there was no struggle, no fighting. Mary was now laughing brightly as the Mayor kissed her playfully.

_They had an hour._

"See, this is the Gene I love to see." The woman said as she wrapped her arms around him, planting another kiss upon a lips "You're so adorable when you smile."

Adorable?

Gene cleared his throat, trying to avert his eyes away from Mary and hoping that she did not notice his blushing cheeks.

"You know I don't like being called adorable. Why do you insist on calling me that?"

"Stop it." Mary said "Just stop it. You put on this act, as if you think any compliment is an insult towards you!"

"It's not like that and you know it."

"Then why are you pushing away? Why are you pushing ME away?"

"I am not…." The mayor said as he pulled Mary closer, kissing her gently "I just want…"

"What DO you want?" Mary asked, Gene feeling a strange sense as he heard those words.

Hadn't he asked someone else that exact same question?

"I-I just want…."

Mary looked right into Gene's eyes, the man feeling no escape.

"Yes?"

"I-I want-!"

***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***

The two Nicelanders gasped, the loud knocking on the door nearly making them jump.

"Oh my!" gasped Mary, clamping her hands over mouth as she heard how loud she was. Gene was just as embarrassed, looking at the door and looking down at Mary.

Yeah, had anyone taking one glance at both they would have known SOMETHING, or someone, was about to go down.

"W-Who is it?" Gene faltered, his voice cracking.

"It's Felix!" a familiar voice sang from the other side "Just wanted to remind ya about tha meetin'!"

Was THAT all Felix wanted? It wasn't as if either Nicelander had forgotten. Gene growled though he tried his best not to sound too angered towards the game's hero.

"I am AWARE of the NPC meeting." The man said, his tone a little harsh "We have PLENTY of time before-!"

"No, no, no!" said Felix, still behind the door, still wondering WHY he hadn't been let in "You're supposed ta bake with Vanellope an' Ralph AFTER that, remember?"

"_Vanellope and Ralph?"_

VANELLOPE AND RALPH!

"Aw, GHOST!"

The man shot to his feet as if a pin had been stuck in his seat, rushing to the calendar on the wall. Yup, it was there plain as day, circled and highlighted. The mayor smacked his forehead; how could he be so forgetful?

"The things that slip my mind-!"

On the other side of the door, Felix leaned on the wall, his hammer twirling in his fingers.

"_Heh, knew you'd do that….."_ he chuckled to himself "Everything okay in there?"

Back inside, Gene gave Mary a trapped look. She shook her head quickly, rushing into the man's room.

"AH! Y-Yes, things are GREAT!" Gene coughed, trying his best to straighten up his attire. He knew he looked a mess but with the way he was going about he would rather look a little wrinkled then caught with his hands about to go in the cookie jar.

"FELIX!" Gene panted as he threw open the door, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Gene?"

The repairman looked up and down the tiny Nicelander, Gene puffing as if he were out of breath and his face blushing terribly.

"Um, are ya okay?"

"W-whatever do you mean?" Gene chuckled nervously, tying his tie back into place "I am P-PERFECT!"

"Ya look as if ya had someone rough ya up." said the little hero "Ya don't need me ta talk ta anyone, do ya? Ya know I got your back if people are still givin' ya guys guff!"

Gene blinked as he looked up at Felix, the repairman smiling down at him.

Even with the events that had transpired in the game, it was still so comforting that Felix was still on the Nicelanders' side, ready to help them when they needed it.

And boy, did they need it lately!

"Thank you….." the chubby Mayor sighed with a smile, feeling a bit better "Nothing too terrible has happened as of late but if it does, I will ask for your assistance. Not that I require it now! I've got EVERYTHING under control!"

"Aw, ya know I'll always be here for ya!" Felix said as he gave Gene a hearty slap on the back "But really, it's not like ya ta forget dates like that!"

"I apologize." The mayor said in a posh tone "We've just been so busy. Heh, something was bound to slip through."

"Where are ya goin'?" the repairman asked.

"I need to pick up a few things to get ready for the baking session." The mayor said "I only want those two to work with the best, you know."

"An' tha NPC meetin'?"

"I'll be back in no time!" Gene sang as he ambled off to the elevator "But if I am a little late, have Don lead the session. As much as he likes to deny, that man has been itching to throw his hat into the conversation, literally."

"Okay." Smiled Felix, tipping his hat towards the Mayor "I'll be sure ta do that!"

The two men parted ways, the halls silent. A few seconds later, the door to Gene's apartment slowly creaked open. Two eyes looked back and forth down the hall, checking to see if a soul or a single pixel were there.

"Goodness, that was close!" Mary breathed out, a little pout coming on her face a second later "But phoo! The blueberry's gone!"

There was no choice now but to get cleaned up for the meeting but with so much time still left, the little woman now felt bored.

"Maybe Gene is right….." she sighed to herself "I am acting like a brat. It's not like I actually-!"

Just as Mary rounded the corner, she ran RIGHT into the armored plating of another figure.

"AH!"

"OOF!"

Onto her bottom the pie baker went, a little dizzy from the encounter but not a pixel out of place.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to-!"

"Ms. Mary?"

The Nicelander shook her head, looking up to see Calhoun standing over her.

"Whoa, sorry about that!" Calhoun said, picking Mary up before she had a chance to object "I'm still gettin' used ta lookin' down so much! I wouldn't wanna hurt any of ya guys!"

"Th-that's quite alright, young lady." Mary grimaced, not feeling all too comfortable with the way Calhoun was holding her "I wasn't looking where I was going so don't feel bad about it."

"Just long as I didn't hurt ya." The marine said with a smile "I'm off tha clock. Don't need ta bust heads now!"

Calhoun smirked, giving Mary a wink.

"Less ya need me ta, of course? Wouldn't want things ta get too ugly 'round here!"

Without even realizing it herself, Mary let out a laugh at Calhoun's joke. She never would have thought that such a joke would make her laugh in such a way but after getting to know the marine Mary found herself finding a bit of solace in the woman.

Especially after what had happened during the misunderstanding with Vanellope, Calhoun had shown herself to be a surprising alley to various characters in the arcade. She wasn't as jump-the-gun as her profession had made her out to be.

Quite the contrary. If anything, Calhoun and several of the Hero's Duty operatives had shown themselves to be a lot more CIVILIZED than many characters Mary had encountered before.

And that was something she was thankful for. It was such a welcome change to say the least.

"Say, are you busy at the moment?" asked pie-maker to warrior.

"Er, no. Why?"

"I need a little help setting up for tonight's meeting and I think YOU would be just the person to help!"

"Me?" Calhoun smirked playfully "Ah, okay. If ya think I'd help with such a meetin'."

"Oh, I think you would help Gene and I tremendously!"

* * *

"Settle down, Genie. With everything you've gotten, this pie is going to be TREMENDOUS! Not that I'm complaining of course…."

A small figure finished his rounds in the arcade, exiting Mappy with several bottles of fresh cream in his shopping bags.

"Now is that everything?" the Mayor asked, stopping and checking his list "Fresh Blueberries from Fruit Bar. Mmm, fresh flour from E. Honda.

Gene narrowed his eyes, taking a step back into the shadows.

"_Make sure not to tell ANYONE…."_

He smiled, seeing that his checklist was complete and with plenty of time to spare!

"Ah-HA! Once again you've outdone yourself MAYOR! Once Ralph and Vanellope come by MY apartment, I am sure they'll-!"

*BOOM!*

"GAH!"

"NYAGH!"

That's what one gets when they leave their mind distracted. Right into another character did the little Mayor run into, his groceries spilling out on the floor.

"AH!" he cried, watching the fruit and cream spill out but then he remember he had run into someone else as well "I mean-! GAH! TOO MUCH AT ONCE!"

"Why don't you watch where you're goin', RUNT?!" came the OBVIOUSLY upset voice of the other character. Gene felt his spine shiver; even without getting a glance he KNEW he was in trouble. The character sounded BIGGER, sounded STRONGER.

If only Felix had been there NOW.

But he wasn't this time which meant that this was something Gene was going to have to take on ALONE.

"_Programmers…."_

But he knew he could do it. He HAD to do it.

Gene stood on his feet, brushing himself free of dirt and lint before adjusting his tie. Without missing a beat, he approached the character, making sure to do so as prim and as proper as he could.

"Young sir?" the mayor began "I apologize for running into you like that. My mind was somewhere else I am afraid."

"Aw man, he got blue stuff on my uniform!" the character growled, Gene looking over.

"Ah…yes well. It's just BLUEBERRIES. It'll come out easy enough with a rese-!"

"Do ya really expect this to just pass on by?!" the character growled, standing up at full height.

Wonderful; Gene was afraid something like this would happen. His lucky ALWAYS lead to things like this. The Nicelander craned his neck up, already aggravated at the size of the opposing character but what caught his attention the most was the LOOK upon his face.

Gene had a bad feeling he knew what was about to happen next.

Trying to remain in control of the situation, Gene took in a breath, keeping his nerves calm.

"Young man, I can assure you that there is nothing to get THIS upset about." The mayor said, though it was obvious with his tone that even he was starting to lose his temper "I just walked into you by ACCIDENT, there is no reason to start a scene."

"Oh, we don't have to worry about THAT." The character said.

The Nicelander sighed in relief, clapping his hands together "Ah, wonderful! So much energy is usually wasted on small things like this but-NYAAAAAGH!"

Before the man could even finish, he felt himself YANKED off the ground, the other character holding him tightly around his collar.

"Cuz we're gonna make sure ya REMEMBER not to walk inta ANYONE else again!"

"HOLD ON! HOLD ON!" Gene growled, grabbing onto the offender's hands "Now this is going TOO far! I just walked into you for CRIPES sake! There's no need to get violent like this!"

"If it's the only way to teach you…."

"URGH! TEACH ME WHAT!?" Gene shouted, turning red in anger. The character shook Gene a bit as he held him away from him, a nasty smirk on his face.

"Teach you lil NPCs where to walk, of course!"

Now Gene knew he was in trouble.

It had to be just pure chance. There was no way this was happening for any other reason. Gene was just about to return home to hold the NPC support group and in the midst of his errands what should happen?

What should happen but the Nicelander finding himself right in the middle of the very reason the group was needed.

The Mayor struggled against the character's hold but he was too strong. Nonetheless, Gene wasn't going to allow himself to be humiliated in the station, especially as a cfrowd had begun to form around him.

"L-Look, you know this is not worth it." The Nicelander said, trying to keep his anger down "Th-think what could happen if SURGE were to find us like this! The consequences of THAT would-!"

"Do you really think I CARE about what SURGE will do? Let him slap me with whatever punishment he can dish out. It's YOU that needs to learn a less, Fatty!"

Gene's anger was only rising, his efforts to keep it down failing noticeable.

"Now listen here…." The smaller man growled "I was more than willing to give you a chance seeing as I DID walk into you, but you sir are GOING TOO FAR NOW AND SO HELP ME-!"

The Nicelander had only taken another breath before finding himself dropped onto the ground, crying out as he hit the floor but any sound he made was drowned out, drowned out by the sound of laughter.

"_W-what the-?"_

Various sounds of laughter.

He sat up, looking around to see that he was surrounded by so many characters, some old, some new but they were all doing the exact same thing.

They were laughing at him.

Just laughing.

"oh-HO, you cannot tell me you EXPECT me to take someone like YOU seriously!"

Gene glowered, returning to his feet "What do you mean by that, SIR?!"

The character bent down to Gene's height, the smile on his face not unlike that of a snake ready to eat its prey.

"Someone like YOU? Someone like an NPC?"

Gene knew it was going to lead to this.

The mayor smacked the character's hands away, anger clearly written all of his face.

"So what if I'm an NPC? What does that have anything to do in the matter?!"

"PLENTY!" the character growled, pushing Gene down with ease "I'm gettin' so SICK of you guys getting in our way! Thinkin' ya can act so hoity-toity here!"

"I-I did nothing of the kind!" the Nicelander fumed "I wasn't LOOKING for trouble with you, I just-!"

"This is what happens when NPCs get too big for their britches!" the character said as he glared down at Gene, reminding the Nicelander just how SMALL he was in the arcade. By now, Gene already felt a migraine coming on but he knew he had to remain the mature of the two, even though it was obvious to those around the characters that the Nicelander was starting to wane slightly, his hands rubbing his temples.

"Okay, alright…." The mayor said "I can see that this conversation isn't going to take us anywhere but in circles so if YOU DO NOT MIND? I would LIKE to return to my home. I have a meeting to conduct in less than half an hour so-!"

"Wait, wait, wait, WAIT…." The character said, his mocking tone hitting Gene "Meetings? Are you….are you one of those NICELANDERS from that old-as-shit game back there?"

Old as….WHAT?

Gene had been around long enough to hear Fix-it-Felix Jr. be described as many-a things….but never something like that. It was bad enough this guy was giving the Nicelander a hard enough time but now he was mocking his home?

What strike was this? Four? FIVE?

"If you mean Fix-it-Felix Jr. YES." Gene said, his voice lowering "YES, I am from that game and-!"

Before Gene could finish the character threw his head back and began to howl in laughter, a few others joining in with him. The revelation must have been more than he could take as soon he was nearly buckled over, his arm clutching around his tickled middle.

"Oh-! OH!" the character laughed, slowing slightly as he wiped an eye "N-Now I know for sure that I'm DEFINITELY up against one of the lamest NPCs in the game!"

_Just remain calm, Gene. Do not give him what he wants._

"If I might ask, what exactly is it that you find so humorous?"

"Just the fact that you actually believe that you're worth JACK in this arcade, small fry." The character smirked, his eyes aimed right at Gene "A few of my NPCs were mutterin' somethin' about some meetin' but I had no idea what they were talkin' about. Now that I DO? Hmmph, what were ya gonna tell 'em, Fatty? What kind of help does an NPC NEED exactly?"

The Nicelander's heart was RUNNING in rage by now but he still kept himself calm, or at least he attempted to do so.

He remembered his promise, his promise to everyone. He would stop being so judgmental, he would stop being so angry, he would stop losing his temper.

But in the face of someone like this? That was easier said than done.

"You know….it says something."

"''Scuse me?" said the character.

"Just right now. You mentioned that characters from YOUR particular game were discussing the meetings…" the Nicelander said, adjusting his collar tartly "Hmmm, if that were to tell me something maybe the trouble isn't coming from your NPCs, but perhaps it's coming from _**YOU.**_"

Gene could see a fault, he could see the large character TWITCH right before him.

**BULL'S EYE.**

The crowd was hushed, awaiting the next remark from both men but for a while it appeared as if Gene had gotten the upper hand of the confrontation, the larger character straightening up.

"Well?" Gene said, hiding a smirk behind his mustache "Hopefully for your sake, that is NOT the case is it?"

"I hafta admit…." The other character chuckled warmly "Ya lil guys do have some SPUNK in ya."

Gene frowned, taking a small step back, already feeling that something was wrong "I will take that as a compliment."

A hand reached down and placed itself on Gene's shoulder "Whoa, whoa, whoa….don't leave just yet. Your…SPRIGHTFUL NPC charm has said something to me!"

The Nicelander forced himself away from under the hand, eyes glaring daggers "O-oh? And what would that be?"

_It took just one second._

*WA-BAM!*

Gene cried out as he felt another hand giving him a surprise SMACK, the force just right to send him flying off his feet a few yards! Several gasps rang around the area but as the Nicelander quickly found out, none were too quick to actually HELP HIM.

"_Ugh, that stung…."_

If anything, people had gotten OUT of the way as if to let the Nicelander roll.

"You've GOT to be kiddin' me….." said the character "THIS? THIS is what I've been told is worthy of respect? THIS thing?"

His cheek was still throbbing but it didn't keep Gene on the floor for long. He staggered to his feet, his hand clutching his face.

"Y-Young man, you are crossing DANGEROUSLY close to-!"

"Oh just shut up! Do you think ANYONE cares about what YOU have to say?!"

"You're going too far!" Gene shouted, wanting nothing more than to leap upon the character "D-Do you think running into someone warrants _**THIS**_ type of behavior?! I already said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do?! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?!"

"What all good lil NPCs do…." The man hissed with a smile "Ya know its NEVER a good idea ta get in IMPORTANT people's ways. Ya know, characters that actually MATTER!"

Gene's shoulders bunched as his anger grew. He was losing his battle but he had to remain together. He could not let these words bother him. He had promised he wouldn't!

"I always thought that NPC meetin' of yours was a joke. It couldn't have been real! What problems could NPCs really talk about other than how USELESS you guys are?"

"_We are NOT useless…."_ Gene growled, hands balled up tight.

"What was that?"

"_I said…_We are NOT _**USELESS!"**_

The character once again laughed, finding Gene's anger more entertaining than threatening "Oh PLEASE. I have shoes that have more value than you! Chairs! LAMPS! Household OBJECTS have more use than you an' make better company as well!"

Three decades of memories were starting to swirling within Gene's mind, the little Nicelander bubbling over with resentment and rage with every word that was being thrown at him.

They were all so familiar, all so painful. They were painful because they had been thrown at him in the past and just like the past, everyone had expect him to TAKE it.

No, everyone had expected ALL NPCs to take it.

"An' to think that of all the worthless piles of pixels that's tryin' to lecture me? A Nicelander? Are you KIDDIN'?"

Some snorts and chuckles were heard behind the Mayor, adding more and more to his capped fury.

"I should have known that you guys would get uppity sooner or later, what with the way that HERO of yours coddles you."

"You call it that but apparently you have no grasp on the basic concept of RESPECT, especially given the way YOU'RE behaving."

"I know LOTS about respect…." The character nodded "But I only reserve that for the people who actually matter. But if you're that concerned about how people behave, maybe I COULD change!"

Gene didn't trust a single word the character had said, still trying to hold back all instincts to send his fist flying towards his nose.

"What are you saying?"

"Where's that PINK one that follows you around?"

The Mayors heart stopped, his eyes widening with shock.

_Mary?!_

"Heh, I betcha she would be TONS of fun to hang out with and TALK to!" the man laughed harder, knowing this was only serving to rile Gene up "I'm sure she won't get as smart as you will, that's for certain! ESPECIALLY after I show her a few th-!"

_***BAM!***_

The man cried out as he felt a painful blow crash in the middle of his face! He fell back on his bottom but as soon as he opened his eyes-

"_Th-the hell?!"_

Standing over him was a single man. A small man yes, but a man showing seething hatred in his eyes.

Mayor Nicelander Gene.

And he was _**FURIOUS.**_

"If you so much as take one BREATH near her…." The Nicelander growled as he reached down and took the man by the collar "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"GET OFF!"

And then the fight began.

Many began to gather round as the tussle of a Nicelander and a main character grew more and more insane. While Gene was at a disadvantage in both size and strength, the anger that was running through him was more than enough to keep him clutching onto the character, his hands digging in deep, his teeth biting flesh.

"OW! Get this little turd offa me!" the instigator cried out in anger, hitting Gene upside the head. The pain was great but the Nicelander was far too angry to let go now.

He had been struck first.

He had been insulted.

Mary had been threatened.

And if there was something EVERYONE in Niceland knew, it was NEVER threaten Mary.

Not too far away, Felix was exiting Tapper's after having fixed yet another broken pipe in the game.

"Just call me again when ya need help!" the man said cheerfully "it's no problem for m-!"

"We GOTTA go see this!" a dinosaur laughed as she rushed past, nearly stepping on Felix in the process.

"Woo! What was that?!"

"Ya've never seen a fight like this!" someone else said, once more ignoring the dizzy repairman "Some chubby lil dude in a blue suit is WAILIN' on that space guy from Cozmik-Naunt!"

"Ya mean Quasar?"

"Yeah, think that's his name!"

Chubby little dude?

Felix's heart sank "Oh, please don't tell me…."

Back in the fight, people were now cheering on but there was no sight that anyone wanted to victor in this battle. All they wanted to see was how crazy the fight could get. By now, the man called Quasar had had enough of the Nicelander's wailing.

"I SAID TAKE IT BACK!" Gene roared "TAKE BACK EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID!"

Quasar might have been bigger but it seemed that Gene was just small enough to keep out of his reach every time, ready scratching and bite whenever he could.

"GAH! He's like some sort of RABID BADGER!"

All hell had broken lose as Gene LEAPT upon the character, his hands scrabbling for the other man's throat.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY?! YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"

"Freakin' twerp!"

And with one strong kick of his legs he knocked Gene off of him, the Nicelander rolling feet over head right into something.

"MAYOR GENE!"

And that SOMETHING turned out to be-!

"_**F-FELIX?!"**_

Gene tried to get away, he tried to roll back onto his front but Felix proved to be the quicker, reaching down and plucking him off the ground.

"Gene?! What in tha arcade are ya doin'?!"

The Nicelander looked MORTIFIED, unable to find anything he could say to explain his actions.

When did Felix come in? Had he seen the whole fight? Was he even going to do anything?

"I-I-! I was-!"

"''Bout time your baby-sitter showed up…" Quasar sniffed, rubbing his bloodied nose onto his hand "Guess he heard your animal call a few miles away."

Felix took one look at the larger character and instantly felt the trouble he was giving off. He kept hold of the Nicelander, scowling upwards.

"N-Now, I take it you're Quasar?" Felix said in an attempt to sound tough.

"Yeah, so what if I am?"

Felix always hated finding himself in the middle of confrontations like this, his attempts to play peace-maker always ending up in disaster.

"Y-Ya know, startin' fights in tha middle of tha station like this? Ya know nothin' good comes from that!"

"Ya call this a fight?" Quasar cackled, patting Gene atop his head "No, no. I was just reminding your lil 'friend' here of the important RULES he and his ilk should follow."

"Don't you DARE touch me!" Gene snapped, slapping the hand away.

"Gene, no!"

"Aw, don't worry buddy! I'm sure Mr. Felix will take care of those boo-boos of yours seeing as ya can't do it yourself!"

"SIR, that is ENOUGH!" growled Felix "I think it's more than obvious now that ya mean ta INSULT both Gene an' myself here so I would advise ya that ya apologize before-!"

"Apologize? To _**HIM?**_"

The repairman scowled, "Yes. Who else do ya think I'm talkin' about?"

A snooty smile curled on Quasar's lips; he was just too humored by Felix and Gene alike.

"Ya know, I would have thought a hero like you? You'd have more DIGNITY than this."

Felix blinked in confusion but he could feel the trouble stirring up in his stomach "I-I don't think I get what you're sayin'."

"I would have thought Good-Guys like you be a bit PROUDER than to waste time on or even CONSIDER a bunch of jabbering eggheads to be your FRIENDS. But hmm, guess that reflects YOUR heroics as well."

Had that really happened? Had someone gone so far as to insinuate that even FELIX was lowering himself down by coming to the add of his own background NPCs?

"At least with that bad guy of yours, you're hanging out with a PERSON. Not….whatever the heck THOSE things are supposed to represent."

In a second, it felt as if the floor had come crashing out from under Felix as he stood there, stood there feeling so empty despite being surrounded by others and still holding Gene in his hands.

He had been at Litwak's for thirty years and in those years….

"By the way…."

_He never thought he would be treated like that again._

"Keep those lil shits tied down. Who knows what disease they can spread."

And just like that, the crowd dispersed. Felix felt so cold, Gene felt so angry but there was nothing that neither one could do. Surge, in all his previous actions, had failed to show up which made the two feel even lonelier in those moments but Felix felt that he couldn't let that get him down.

"H-he was upset."

No matter how hurt he felt, no matter how outraged he was inside.

He just couldn't show it.

"Oh gracious…." The man breathed out as he put Gene down on the ground "Maybe I should have gone with ya. People still don't seem ta get tha message that it's not a good idea ta handle ya so roughly!"

There was no reply from the Nicelander.

"Mayor Gene?"

The Nicelander was trembling, his hands clutched to his side.

"Sir, you're okay aren't ya?" the repairman said as he went down to his knee, putting his hands on the Nicelander's shoulder "I can fix it in no time, whatever is hurt I mean! Just-!"

"Don't touch me."

Felix jolted back, nearly dropping his hammer in the process "Wh-what was that sir?"

Gene looked up; there was so much ire in his eyes but Felix could see something else. The little man was trying to hide it, he was trying to hide it with as much anger as he could but-

"_G-Gene?"_

"I said _**DON'T TOUCH ME!"**_ the Nicelander snapped, pushing Felix's hands away "I-I'm not WEAK! I AM NOT WEAK!"

"I never said that ya were!"

"Don't-! Don't look at me like that!"

"Like WHAT?!"

"You're like everyone else….." the Nicelander panted _**"YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"**_

By now Felix was beyond concerned; Gene NEVER treated him in such a manner before.

"Sir, if ya would just calm down I am sure we can-!"

"_Just leave me alone…." _The Nicelander said as he pushed Felix aside _"Just leave me alone….."_

"B-But Gene-!"

All attempts to stop the Nicelander were made in vain as before Felix could stop him, the little man disappeared into the crowd. Felix ran forward, pushing others to the side but his friend was no longer there.

"Gene?"

No reply.

"GENE!"

Again, nothing.

Felix looked to the left, to the right, but he was alone.

Completely alone.

"_I-I never wanted things ta get this bad…."_ The repairman panted, feeling anxious as he stood in the station _"B-But what can I do?"_


	12. Bitter

Chapter Twelve- Bitter

"How did I get myself into this?" Calhoun said as she carried the mountain of supplies in her arms "I thought we were goin' ta ONE store. The important detail bein' **ONE!**"

One store might have been promised but as the Nicelander lead the marine along the small errand had morphed into a rather large one, Calhoun now carrying several packages and boxes in her arms while Mary walked in front of her.

"Oh, we'll also need that!" the Nicelander reminded herself, going over her mental list "And we cannot forget that as well! Ah, should we turn back and head towards Need 4 Speed? They're the only place that carries that brand."

"Uh, ma'am?" Calhoun asked, peaking from behind a box "Ya said ya wanted ta keep this hush-hush, right?"

"That I did." The little woman said with a cute smile as she turned to face the marine "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I would think that someone like ME carrying stuff like THIS wouldn't fly under the radar too smoothly." Calhoun chuckled, still trying to juggle everything in her grasp. Mary stopped and looked, realizing that perhaps she did go a bit too far with her shopping.

"I'm sorry, dearie." The Nicelander sighed "Here, just put that down and I'll help you with it."

Calhoun dropped the heavy load on the ground, shaking her head "WHOO! I didn't even know that many shops EXISTED in this place! I have a lot more explorin' ta do."

"Indeed you do but I want to thank you for helping me out." The little Nicelander said as she picked up a few bags "It would have taken me so many trips to do this myself."

"Saaaaaay, you've only given me a PIECE of tha info on this, ma'am." Calhoun said "What's all of this really about?"

Her back towards the marine, Mary could not help but blush in happiness as she thought. All this pie baking had given her an idea, an idea that she knew should have been done YEARS ago but now that she had the courage, now that she had the support, she knew she had do it.

"Young lady, if there is anything I have learned from all of this…." The Nicelander began "It's that I still have some things I need to do."

"What do ya mean?"

The Nicelander took a seat on a bench next to the marine, smiling so sweetly and warm "What I mean is, Ralph has really shown to me what a wonderful young man he is. I've talked to the other Nicelanders and they've just gone on and on about how wonderful guests both he and Vanellope have been!"

Calhoun smiled; her plan was working wonders if the Nicelanders were talking in such a way. And it wasn't as if they weren't the only ones who had something good to say. Ralph and Vanellope were just as talkative. The little racer had gone on and on about the pies that the Nicelanders made but more important than that, what the little people could do BESIDES bake pies. Calhoun was glad that Vanellope wasn't going to go down a path repeated by so many others, one that could have made things in Fix-it-Felix Jr. so much harder for EVERYONE.

Aside from that, Calhoun was finding herself enjoying the company of the Nicelanders as well.

ESPECIALLY Mary.

She couldn't explain it but she never would have thought that such a dainty, soft-hearted woman in pink that barely made it up to her KNEE would manage to get her climb her way on her acquaintance ladder but there she was. It seemed like everyone in Fix-it-Felix Jr. had their way of roping people in!

Maybe it WAS the pie…..

"But more than that…." The Nicelander continued "I've wanted to do something else for Ralph. To thank him. To show him how much we….I…."

Mary had to stop. There was still some shame in her voice but she was braving through it, as if she wanted to show Calhoun that she wasn't the coward that people had said she and the rest of the Nicelanders were. Mary wanted to show everyone in the arcade that if Ralph were capable of proving himself more than what he was, then so could she.

The only question was if the arcade would actually ALLOW her to act.

"I just want to do something nice for him."

"Really?"

"Yes. Well, Ralph and a few others but I'll tell you once we get to the apartments. This is something that EVERYONE will have to get involved with!"

"Sounds like you have some sort of party planned!" the marine laughed "Hope Genie won't get too upset that you planned it WITHOUT him."

"He won't be doing too much complaining." The little woman said with a sneaky grin "Not after I'm done with him."

"Oh-HO, leave some pieces of him left! I would HATE to hear YOU were the cause of his game over!"

Mary placed her hands on her hips, a twinkle in her eyes and some swagger in her steps _"Gene might be the MAYOR but everyone knows who's REALLY in charge." _

The little woman took a look at her watch; it was much later than she thought!

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed, taking some bags into her arms "We better get going! We wouldn't want to be late would we?"

"Late for WHAT exactly?" Calhoun said as she gathered up the other packages "'Less, you're talkin' about-!"

"You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!" Mary said with a smile "There is NO way I am missing ANY of that!"

"Then be better hurry!" said the marine "A second missed is a second of entertainment we may never see ag-GAH!"

"OOF!"

Another crash?

Bags went spilling on the ground, people stopped in their tracks!

What was that?

Is everyone okay?

Hey, hey! Watch your feet there!

"_Oh, nice moves…._" Calhoun mumbled to herself as she looked at the mess on the ground. She put her hands on her sides, grumbling "An' I was bein' so careful ta make sure they DIDN'T end up muffed!"

"My wings!"

Calhoun looked over, seeing a figure in black standing a few yards away and from the way she was carrying about-

"Are they wrinkled?! Are they stained?!"

They weren't taking the run in too well.

"Ah! AH! I think there's…..HONEY or something on them!" the woman cried out, stretching out her long, black wings to check every inch of them, nearly knocking over a few bystanders in the process.

"Hoo boy…" Calhoun said to herself as she walked forward, her hands reaching out "Hey, you okay there? Didn't mean ta get ya like that but-!"

"Am I OKAY!?" the figure asked, walking right up to Calhoun, a small screech in her throat "AM I OKAY?!"

It was a little jarring for Calhoun to be reminded that she wasn't the BIGGEST woman in the arcade, the shadowy figure nearly standing even with her and doing so BARE-FOOTED.

"Uh, yeah. ARE-YOU-OKAY?"

"Look at this mess!" the figure said, motioning down to her long cloak and wings "Flour and syrup! Milk and butter! You got them all over me!"

"Yes, and I said I was sorry." Calhoun replied, her brow twitching "If ya want me to, I would be more than happy ta help ya with this but there really is no need ta make a scene about it!"

"And why NOT?!" the woman huffed, crossing her arms "People EXPECT me to look my best around here and now thanks to YOUR clumsiness, I look like I just climbed out of the GARBAGE!"

Calhoun placed a hand on her forehead, already feeling her nerves tensing up "Alright, for starters. Tha mess isn't even that big an' second? Honey, I've seen things WORSE than ya so don't even START-!"

"You must not know who I am, DO you?" the figure frowned, floating off the ground a bit "Perhaps if I TAUGHT you, you'd understand why it's a good idea NOT to get in my way!"

"Sirin!" came a little shout "This is not the time, nor the place!"

The larger women looked down, surprised to see Mary standing between them, her arms out to separate the both of them.

"Miss Mary?"

"There is ABSOLUTELY no need for this, young lady!" the Nicelander scolded as she walked up to the larger figure "The Sargent just made a misstep, one that is somewhat my fault…."

"Aw, ma'am!" Calhoun called, shaking her hands "This isn't-!"

"YOUR fault?!" the one called Sirin screeched, her once soft features starting to sharpen and warp. Even Calhoun had to shake at the sound of her voice, the woman reaching up for her ears suddenly as the sound echoed across the walls.

"WHOA!" the marine called, surprised to find her knees shaking "Tha heck is th-!"

"_Mini-boss._" Whispered Mary, fingers in her ears "_She's a good girl but she can often-_"

"Yes, so I am a mini-boss! Are you insinuating something about it?! Are you going to judge ME just like you once judged your Wrecker?"

"No, no! Of course not!" assured the Nicelander, refusing to take a step back but clearly growing more agitated once Ralph was brought into the conversation "I just don't think it was polite of you to just jump on Ms. Calhoun like that, She did nothing wrong to you."

Apparently, the little woman had had a few run-ins with the creature before if she were this familiar with her. At least familiar enough to dare come face-to-face without her anyway. Even Calhoun was a amazed at what she was seeing. Sirin TOWERED over Mary and looked as if she were decked out to slice a pig with ease with one swipe of her claws and nails but Mary didn't seem to worry or if she did, she sure wasn't showing it.

And if anything, THAT was what was making Sirin so angry; Mary's refusal to be scared.

"Now, young lady…." Mary said in a calm voice "I'm sure if we can listen to REASON, we can avoid a whole world of trouble. Just settle down for a moment and we'll get you cleaned up."

"_Hmmp!_" pouted Sirin, feeling her skin crawl as she felt the sticky honey dripping on her feathers "Do you think your words bring any hope in me? What could a person of YOUR stature do to help in a situation like this?! "

Mary's brows furrowed but once more, she remained calm or as calm as she could given the situation "Sirin, just listen to me."

"It's **MISTRESS SIRIN** to _**YOU!**_" the bird-like beast hissed, purposely trying to send Mary to the floor "And I will NOT have you addressing me like some sort of CHILD!"

"HEY, HEY!" shouted Calhoun, riled up plenty "C'mon now! Mary hasn't done a darn thing to ya, so there is no reason ta treat her like that! BACK OFF!"

"She didn't do a thing to me?" scowled Sirin, her eyes going down to Mary "You say that but you were here to witness it! The way she tried to overstep her boundaries!"

"What BOUNDARIES?" Calhoun snapped back, not liking where the conversation was headed.

Sirin stepped back, tapping a long finger on her wing "That of a background character such as her. There are RULES to follow here and even with the heroics that Mr. Ralph has done, we still have to follow them!"

Calhoun could feel the fire lighting in her chest. But she wasn't the only one.

"I am a mini-boss. I know MY place…." The bird girl hissed, eyes narrowing in anger "And I will not have a thing such as this talk down to me!"

"_I am NOT a thing."_

All eyes went down, Mary holding her fist tight as she looked up at Sirin, her throat tightening in anger.

"What did you say?"

The Nicelander drew a breath back, trying her best to keep her composure and dignity.

"I do not CARE if you find it humorous that I am smaller than you…." The Nicelander began "I do not care if you think that my words do not matter because of my job or my pixel-depth. But I am _**NOT**_ a _**THING**_, young lady! I am a character just like YOU and everyone else around here!"

The fronw on Sirin's face grew deeper, her temper nearing its peak "Would _**WEAKLING**_ suffice better, small one?"

"Okay, that's it!" Calhoun shouted "_**YOU**_ have crossed tha line kid! If it's a fight ya want, then have it with ME!"

"Young lady, don't!" said Mary, trying to push the larger marine back "Don't go down that road It's not worth it, not over THIS!"

"I was told how TOUGH you were, woman-solider…" the mini-boss chortled in glee "But seeing as the little pill-bug has to keep you on your leash, I am beginning to have second thoughts on your bravery, Bug-Killer. "

NOW Calhoun was RAGING! It was bad enough that this character was going after MARY but to say something about her like that?

The fight was about to begin!

"Ya were worried about those feathers of yours getting' dirty?" The marine growled, balling her fist up "A good _**PLUCKIN'**_ might do ya well!"

"HEY EVERYONE! CHICK FIGHT!" called someone from the crowd, more and more starting to gather around as cheers filled the area.

"Wait, NO!" Mary cried out but her voice was drowned out by the others, her cries just too small. She fell to the ground, finding herself right in-between Calhoun and Sirin as they hovered near each other, the other waiting for the first move.

"Tamera! NO! Don't let her get to you!"

"It's stuff like _**THIS**_ that gets bad-guys painted in a negative light!" Calhoun glowered "You're not doin' yourself any favors, ya know?"

"All I know is that I won't stand for people getting my way." Hissed Sirin, smirking at Calhoun "And if you see THAT as an issue, that is YOUR problem. I don't have time to waste on weaklings like THAT or YOU."

Calhoun cracked her knuckles "Weak? You gonna see what's WEAK!"

"TAMORA, STOP!"

Hearing her FIRST name screamed out, the marine faulted, looking off to the side to see the source of the noise.

"Who-?!"

The mini-boss' eyes glowed, ready for the move "_An opening._"

Sirin might have been irritable, she might have been haughty but she was well skilled and **FAST.** She saw the little move of Calhoun coming a mile away and she readied herself to go in for the attack. But someone ELSE saw the attack.

Someone who had years of arcade experience under her belt.

"_**TAMORA!"**_

Calhoun only had a second to look as she saw Sirin sailing towards her, her wings opened and her hands out for a move but a flash of pink crossed their paths!

"WHAT-!?"

And before the marine had a chance to react she heard that cry!

"_**OOW!"**_

The crowd gasped as they moved back, Mary tumbling onto the floor and grasping her arm. Calhoun froze in her tracks, realizing just what had happened before her.

"_**M-M-M. MARY?!"**_

Even Sirin had to stop; she had become greatly annoyed by the Nicelander but she wasn't her intended target; Calhoun was! To do such a massive mistake was enough to get the character to rethink her own move.

"O-oh! GRACIOUS!"

"Mary? Mary!" Calhoun called out in great concern, going towards the woman "Ma'am, please say something!"

"_Th-th-this HURTS like __**SOMETHING.**_" Mary hissed between her teeth, trembling as she held onto her injured arm.

"Lemme see, please!"

Mary looked up at the larger woman and though she tried to hide it, it was easy to see in her eyes that she was in immense pain. Calhoun's army instincts began to kick in, quickly looking at the wound. What she say looked BAD. Though the attack had left no puncture wounds, the massive power-burn was there for all to see. Mary's soft skin was swollen and burnt red, so much so that the marine could feel the heat and see the small bits of smoke rising from her arm. And who knew what damage was done on the INSIDE as well?

"I-Is it bad?" whimpered the little woman, regretting jumping the gun without thinking "A-a bit of ice will help it right?"

All of this, over a fight Mary never wanted to happen.

"We need ta get ya outta here!" growled Calhoun "We need ta get ya to tha infirmary, ta tha doctor's, TA FELIX! STAT!"

"W-Wait!" the Nicelander called as she was lifted up with ease in Calhoun's hands "D-Don't-! Just let me-!"

"Sh-she just got in the way!" stammered Sirin, feeling increasingly ashamed for what she had allowed herself to do "I didn't see what got in my way! I was-!"

"YOU-!" roared Calhoun, grabbing the creature by her collar "YOU are DEAD once I take care of her!"

"I already said! IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!" hissed the mini-boss, pushing herself free "I-if anything, SHE was the one who started by getting-!"

"_**IF YOU HADN'T ACTED LIKE A TOTAL JACK-ASS-!"**_

"_**YOU WERE THE ONE WHO OVER-REACTED!"**_

"_**I SHOULD RAM MY FIST DOWN YOUR THROAT, BIRDIE!"**_

"_**I'LL HANG YOU BY YOUR LOCKS, BLONDIE! IF YOU HAD ANY SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF HAIR!"**_

"THAT-!" called a voice from afar "Will be enough."

The crowd went hush as they looked to the side, Sirin going pale as she took notice of WHO was coming near her.

SORCERESS.

And she did NOT look at all happy.

"What is going on here?" asked the graceful bad-guy, all eyes on her. Sirin seemed to cower back as the main boss approached her, shivering like a leaf.

"I-I was-! It just happened!"

"And what exactly would THAT have been?" the woman in black asked, pulling Sirin by her winged ear.

"OW! Sorceress!"

"It-it's nothing to worry about!" Mary said, hoping someone would stop and listen to her for once "I just….I just midjudge a situation."

Sorceress' mouth nearly hit the floor when she saw Mary's arm, the sight of the injury enough to send her to the ground.

"DID YOU DO THIS?!"

"I said it was an accident!" Sirin ducked, scared of the mighty boss' fury.

"Accident or NOT, you had NO RIGHT of hurting someone like that! You know that!"

"But she-!"

"What did she do?!" Sorceress blared, her features becoming more monstrous as she stared down the lesser boss "WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU?!"

"N-nothing!" cried Sirin, her wings folded down against her body "_She didn't do ANYTHING…_"

"And yet you attacked her. Sirin, I cannot believe you."

The mini-boss looked down, her form looking much more subdued and calm "I just didn't want to get bossed around by an background character….."

"A background character?" Sorceress glared "You went after her because she happens to be a BACKGROUND CHARACTER?!"

"YES! I mean-! NO! I mean-!" the younger creature struggled to find her words, looking this way and that "Please, Mistress! Y-You understand the reason!"

"No, I do not!" the main boss said in a powerful voice "No, I do not understand the reasoning behind SCARING background characters! I do not understand the reasoning behind HURTING them! Tell me, young one! WHAT REASONS WAS THERE?!"

Everyone was silent, Sorceress' words loud enough that even Litwak himself would have been able to hear had he been there. Her hands on her hips, Sorceress shook her head, tapping Sirin atop her own.

"You attack someone who not only has no means of defending themselves against your powers but you even BLAME them for the entire thing? Sirin, I'm not only upset at you, I am ASHAMED!"

With those words said, everyone could see Sirin shaking.

"We've been in this arcade for how long? HOW LONG?"

"T-twelve years."

"Twelve years and you still cause trouble! You cause trouble over NOTHING!"

"But Sorceress-!"

"Apologize."

Mary and Calhoun jolted back in surprise.

"'Scuse me?" said Calhoun.

"I want you to apologize to BOTH of them, Sirfin." Sorceress demanded, not having the patient for the younger boss any longer.

Sirin floated over to the two, her head still down and unable to gather any courage to lift it up.

"I am wait, youngling."

Sirin lifted her head, looking right into Mary's eyes.

As the two made contact, something clicked. Mary felt a tingle go down her spine, almost as if she were afraid of the girl but perhaps it wasn't fear. If anything, Sirin looked more frightened than the Nicelander at this point, the girl realizing just WHO she had hit with her attack.

She had hit a background character, a background character who could not fight back. A background character who stood no chance against her had she used her more powerful attacks. And yet Mary had attempted to stand up to her ANYWAY, just to help CALHOUN.

And they said that Nicelanders cared about NO ONE.

It was only then did Sirin realize whom she was boasting over and just how silly it had made her look. Even when compared with Calhoun, she had gotten upset over NOTHING, just over bits of flour and fruit. Her words and attacks didn't make her look the more powerful of the bunch.

"_U-Um…."_

It had made her look like a BAD GUY.

A _**REAL**_ bad guy.

"_I am sorry._"

"Address them politely." Said Sorceress "I know you have more manners than that."

"I am sorry I took things out of hand…." Sirin said, standing up taller this time "And I am sorry that I attacked without reason."

Mary couldn't have looked more embarrassed. She was hurt, she looked a mess, and Calhoun had her tucked under her arm like some sort of chubby little doll. Her entire face was as red as a strawberry but she had to say something.

"I-It is alright young lady." The Nicelander said, her voice sounding so tiny and shy "I am not angry at you…"

It was ASTONISHING that anyone could say a thing after being attacked like that but Mary had done so much to Calhoun's amazement. Still holding onto the woman, Calhoun turned away. She blushed deeply and put a hand behind her head.

"I-I accept your apology too."

"Good…" said Sorceress "And in the future, I hope you will learn to behave yourself Sirin."

"_Yes, ma'am._" The mini-boss said, awaiting the older boss' orders.

"Ms. Mary?"

Mary looked up, Sorceress giving her a concerned look "Y-Yes?"

"It's not bad is it? Sirin's moves have a lot of power to them so I would HATE to hear that it-!"

"Dear, I am FINE!" Mary blurted, far from the truth "There is no need to carry on about this! NO NEED AT ALL!"

"But ma'am!"

"Please, let's all just go back to our business! There is NO NEED to tell people, to tell ANYONE what has happened!"

"Um, what is goin' on?" asked a rightfully confused Calhoun but Sorceress could hear the words loud and clear. She nodded sadly.

"_I won't tell him."_

"_Don't tell ANY of them!"_ whispered Mary _"If he finds out, he'll hit the roof!"_

"_Do not worry, I will keep your promise."_

"Um, is there somethin' I need ta know? I WOULD like a lil info here!"

Mary was about to say something to the confused marine when-

_***STING!***_

"**AH!"**

"Ms. Mary!" Calhoun gasped, looking down at the growing welt on the woman's arm "Aw, this needs medical attention, STAT!"

"_The apartments."_

"What?"

"_Take me home…."_ Mary said, swallowing back the pain with a brave look _"There's no need to worry about ANYTHING. I have what's needed at home."_

Calhoun nodded her head and prepared to leave but she turned back towards Sorceress.

"Thanks for helpin' us out there!"

"We're all neighbors here." The witchy woman said with a polite bow "We help each other out."

Mary gave Sorceress one final look as she was carried away, the only calm head in the entire mess.

"Yes. We help each other out…."

The crowd then began to disperse, everyone returning to their plans but two remained still.

Calhoun didn't know how to react to what had happened, how to react to what Mary had attempted to do for her. The woman was hurt in her arms but she refused to show it, refused to show any fear that was going through her.

But she couldn't leave her in such a condition.

"Ma'am?"

The Nicelander, still clutching her injured arm, looked up "Y-Yes?"

"Let's get you home!"

Mary let out a startled cry as she was flung forward in the marine's arms, Calhoun darting off at top speeds towards Fix-it-Felix Jr.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Who was that?

"But sir!"

A familiar voice?

"LEAVE. Me ALONE."

What was happening at Litwak's this particular night?

* * *

"It's still not too bad is it?" Calhoun said, rushing as fast as she could through the apartments, Mary still in her arms.

"Dear, please put me down." The other woman sighed, though she did her best to hide how much the welt had stung "She got me in the ARM, not my LEGS. I am fully capable of walking."

"But that attack! Who knows what it'll do to your-!"

"Tamora."

The marine stopped, feeling a sense of doom come over her not unlike a child who had gotten into trouble with her mother.

Though this time the child was CALHOUN and the mother was MARY.

She peered down at the Nicelander, a frown on her face and her eyes clear.

"DOWN. NOW."

Calhoun did what she was told, gently putting Mary onto the floor but she could see the way she held her wounded arm, the appendage folded as if she were nervous to move it.

"Ms. Mary."

"Gene has what I need…." The Nicelander said without missing a beat "Once I apply it, I'll be just fine."

"Gene?" Calhoun blinked "HE knows how to deal with something like this?"

"My dear…." Mary said with a slight titter "We have been here for thirty years. Even if Felix can fix everything with a single tap, that doesn't mean we haven't learned a thing or two about dealing with unfortunate run-ins with some baddies."

Mary was always the one who threw Calhoun for a loop. Ever since she had gotten to know her, Mary was starting to come off more than just the Nicelander who baked more than the others. She was carrying much more experience than she given credit for and even if she was smaller in size, she gave off an air that Calhoun couldn't help but listen to.

Then why was she so scared? Why was she so afraid of Ralph?

With the run in that had happened, some questions had been answered but Calhoun wanted to know more. She watched as Mary dug through her purse, fishing out a spare key.

"Glad I kept this."

"What is it?"

"It's the key to Gene's apartment." The Nicelander said, opening the door "He gave me this thing years ago, back when…."

Mary stopped, forcing herself from letting on too much about things that she felt were best left to the past. The marine noticed the little slip but before she could ask Mary recovered, giving her that warm, loving smile that she always had on her face.

"Well, he just wanted me to have it." She said, squeezing it in her hands and pressing it against her chest "_He just wanted me to be safe…"_

Well, this was awkward. Calhoun was thinking very OBVIOUS reasons as to why GENE of all people would have given MARY a key to his home but she bit her tongue. They were ADULTS, so it was best to act like adults right?

"Do…do you use it much?" Calhoun coughed, hoping her curiosity wasn't TOO obvious.

"Only when it is necessary." Mary said, putting the key in the lock "To be honest….it HAS been a while."

"Really?"

"I always reserve this thing for when I feel it is truly needed and…well."

Calhoun could see Mary blushing even deeper, biting her lip.

"W-We mustn't waste time!" the Nicelander shouted "Let's just get what we need and leave!"

"O-Okay, if you say so!"

As the two entered the apartment, they found that it was empty but Gene had already set the kitchen up for the pie session that was to take place soon. Everything was laid out and neatly organized, something that Mary was more than happy to see.

"Heh, nice digs." Calhoun said looking around "Kinda tight but given the size of the citizens….."

"Heh, I'm sure they'll have fun."

The marine peeked to the side, noticing the smile on Mary's face. She was obviously happy about SOMETHING.

_***STING!***_

"Eep!"

"Ma'am!"

"I-It's okay, dear…." Mary smiled, waving Calhoun away "Just let me get the ointment."

"Ointment?"

The little woman in pink went into Gene's bedroom, her movements showing Calhoun she was USED to the layout and without missing a step she went into the bathroom, pulling out the needed medicine for her trouble.

Bee, Bird and Beyond Balm: The Best for All Stinging Attacks!

The Nicelander went to the bed and sat down, removing her gloves and putting the medication onto the injury. She could feel it working, the pain slowly diminishing and the redness going away.

"Oh thank goodness."

"Here…."

Mary looked up, Calhoun holding a cold compress before her.

"What is this?"

"Just in case. I don't know if it'll work for whatever stung ya back there but it works for us."

"Thank you dear." Mary sighed, placing the item on her arm "I just wish things hadn't turned so ugly back there."

"You're actin' as if it was your fault." Calhoun said harshly sitting next to the woman on the bed, nearly falling off of it in the process due to how small it was "Geeze, ma'am! I know you're one to avoid confrontations an' all but that doesn't mean ya hafta take EVER line that people give ya! If people push ya, ya DO have tha right ta fight back!"

"What makes you think I was doing that?" Mary said, her brows bunching but only slightly "I just didn't want _**YOU**_ to get into the fray."

"Me? I could have taken her on!" Calhoun shouted.

"It wouldn't have been worth it!"

"But it would have saved ya from getting' hurt like that!"

"It would have happened _**REGARDLESS!**_ It always does with us!"

"Gah, MARY!" the marine growled "What is WITH ya guys!? Look, I can get if you're scared of me or somethin' or whatever else is goin' on but GEEZE! It's like you're scared ta ask for help or-!"

"Don't you _**DARE**_ assume that, young lady!"

Calhoun looked down, Mary's expressions showing her that it might have been best to listen this time around.

"GRACIOUS." The Nicelander huffed, rubbing her arm anxiously "All I ask is that someone take me SERIOUSLY for a moment. I know I look silly enough but could I please talk? That's all I've _**EVER**_ asked for!"

"Yes, you may ma'am." The Marine nodded "An' what was it exactly that ya wanted ta say ta me?"

Mary turned away, looking drained and tired.

"Sweetie? Look, it's not that I don't appreciate what you did for me back there. I really do. It's not every day we have people standing up for us, especially with the way people have been treating us because of Ralph."

The marine nodded her head "Yes? And how have they been treatin' ya?"

A look of anger crossed upon Mary's face that Calhoun had never witnessed before. She held tightly onto the comforters of the bed, every fiber in her being keeping her from saying what she really wanted to.

Why was she doing this again? Was Mary holding back? Why were ANY of the Nicelanders holding back?

"I usually try to put on a happy face for everyone….I usually try to reassure them, to remind them that we do have someone who doesn't look down on us."

"Ma'am?"

"But I don't' know how much longer I can do this. I don't know how much longer I can stand around and let people do this to my friends and expect us to just TAKE IT."

"Mary…." Calhoun said, concern in her face "If ya have ever felt that things were gettin' too rough for ya, ya do have me! I will help ya an' I don't CARE who ya are, what ya are! I am a SOLIDER. My duty is to help those who need it an' from tha looks of things…."

"Dear, I just don't want you getting tied up in our drama." Mary said, looking so upset and frail "It's been a storm as it is so the last thing I want someone who doesn't deserve our mess to wind up IN our mess."

"Look, ya know there are gonna be some big changes here. BIG changes!" Calhoun smiled "An' I PROMISE ya that one of those changes will be that ya guys won't hafta worry 'bout people comin' in an' actin' like animals around ya."

"Tamora, that's so sweet of you…." The Nicelander said "But…but maybe that's part of the problem."

"What is?"

"We've always relied on someone ELSE to save us all these years. Maybe it's time that we try to do something OURSELVES."

"Oh, I understand what you're sayin' ma'am!" the marine snorted in laughter.

"I don't think you do." Mary replied "I don't think you do because you're programmed to be a hero, to be someone who from the start was made to fight and defend. Us? Myself? We were meant to be SAVED and over the years, we've allowed others…and ourselves….to tell us we can't be anything other than that."

This sounded familiar. Calhoun had been reminded of what Ralph had told her, how the Wrecker had been told that he couldn't be anything other than the bad guy. It had never crossed the marine's mind what Mary had thought every time she had been told she couldn't be anything other than HELPLESS.

She knew that the Nicelanders relied on Felix to save them as they had not been programmed to do much themselves outside of their own home but it made her think a lot more. The way the confrontation had happened in the halls, the way Mary tried DESPERATELY to stop a fight but ended up hurt because of it.

Mary WANTED to show the arcade that she was just more than a damsel that needed to be saved.

But no matter how hard she tired, no one was listening.

The only thing they were saying was how awful she and the other Nicelanders were, how awful all background characters were for being scared of their bad guys, for being scared of Ralph. That's all they were saying, that's all they HAD been saying.

And yet they were still acting out in ways that gave them good reasons to be scared.

It was a continuing circle and for the life of her, Mary wanted to get out. She wanted to get out so everyone could be happy again.

But it was if nothing had changed, as if all her actions were for nothing.

"Ms. Mary….."

"Yes?"

"I think…..I think I get it now." Calhoun said "Well, MOST of it anyway."

"You get what?"

"You're a tough lil thing, ya know that?" the woman snickers, putting a hand atop Mary's head "Maybe ya need a few hours in our Cybug Simulator! Ya seem like tha woman for it!"

"W-What!? SERIOUSLY?!" Mary fumbled "Oh, no, no, NO! I couldn't hear of it! I wouldn't last a second in your game!"

"Heh, ya be surprised. All Ralph did was run around like a chicken with his head cut-off! If ya had tha proper instructions-!"

_***CLICK KLACK***_

PAUSE.

The two women stopped, their skin covered in goose-bumps.

"_What is it?"_ whispered Calhoun.

The Nicelander peered through the crack in the door, her skin going pale.

"_He's back!"_

"_Who?"_

Mary rushed over to the marine, grabbing her hand _"GENE!"_

"_W-Wait, he's back?! Wh-where do ya want us to-!"_

"_Shh, shh, SHH!"_ Mary hushed, her hand slamming on Calhoun's mouth _"Heeee_'s _almoooost…!"_

The door slammed shut hard, so hard in fact that several things on Gene's dresser tumbled to the ground. The women looked, stunned that such a small man could cause such a reaction.

But if his mood were THAT foul….

"_Into the closet!"_

"_But I can't FIT!"_ the marine protested as she looked over towards the small room.

"_You will now!"_

Calhoun had not a moment to object as she found herself SHOVED into the closet, Mary going in a moment later and shutting the door behind her, nothing looking out of place.

And then-

_**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!**_

The marine blinked, only familiar with ONE person who could roar like that _"Wow, was that RALPH or-?"_

"_No, it's Gene."_ Said Mary "_Living with him THIS long, I know all his calls…."_

Mary cracked the door ever so slightly to get a good view of what exactly was going on and what she saw….

"Loud mouthed, uncivilized-!"

"_H-Honey?"_

Gene looked TERRIBLE. Due to her own run-in, Mary had no idea of the events that had transpired with her fellow Nicelander but he showed it on every pixel of his body. His hair was out of place, his suit was wrinkled and mussed and the marks.

Those marks.

Had Gene been in a fight?

And if so, with WHOM? Even when he was thrown by Ralph he didn't get such injuries!

"_What happened to HIM!?"_

"_I-I don't know…."_ Whimpered Mary.

The mayor said nothing as he continued to pace about his room, storm clouds and various other signs of rage and anger popping over his head. He stopped once, looking at the clock before shaking his head.

It was almost time for Ralph and Vanellope to stop over but judging from the way he was going about….

"_He's in no condition to do ANYTHING…."_ Said Calhoun, Mary taking her hand.

"_I-I know but we have to wait!" _

"_For WHAT?"_

"_Until we can actually escape, for starters!"_

The mayor looked down, ashamed to find himself looking so dingy and dirty. He stomped off to the bathroom, the two women seeing his tie, cardigan and dress shirt flying out fo the room.

"_Oh dear…._" Mary blushed brightly _"PLEASE don't tell me we're heading down THIS road!"_

Calhoun looked down, taking a notice of how embarrassed Mary was looking. She shook her slightly, trying to get her attention.

"_Ah, no! Don't leave me, Mary!"_

The sound of running water was heard, a few splashes here and there, but nothing more.

Gene was still silent.

Still quiet.

"_What's he doin'?"_

Moments later, the mayor finally came out, the only thing on being his slacks and undershirt. His hair looked wet and his face a bit clearer but he still looked in no condition to bake. Still, it was a little odd to see the usually prim and proper Mayor looking so….loose.

"_This isn't good…."_

The mayor rubbed his eyes, squinting them a bit as he threw himself on his large bed. He flopped over, rubbing his aching temples and reaching over towards the dresser. A moment later he took out a leather case, opening them up to reveal a large pair of glasses.

"_Wait…." _Said Calhoun _"Those were CONTACTS?"_

"_He hates when people sees him with those things on….." _Mary sighed _"Not that I had a problem with them but-!"_

"_Ah! AH! I think he noticed we were on his bed!"_

"_Wait, did I drop the medicine on the ground?!"_

"_I think you did!"_

The Mayor sat up, looking down at his feet.

Why wouldn't he have done that BEFORE he put his glasses on?

Mary was screaming internally once she noticed the tube of ointment right next to Gene's feet. He would notice it! He ALWAYS noticed when his room was out of place!

"_O-Okay! We can say it was a SURPRISE!"_ Mary shook _"This was all a surprise for his-! For his-!"_

"_Un-Birthday?"_ suggested Calhoun, out of ideas herself.

"_It's the only thing we have!"_

"_Mary, wait…."_ Said the marine, looking out the crack again "_D-don't move just yet…."_

"_Why not?"_

The Nicelander peered out the door again, the Mayor slumped over with his face in his hands. He was once again so still but there was an unsettling eeriness to him. He had gone from furious to defeated in a matter of seconds, his breathing rattling in his chest.

"_G-Gene?" _

The mayor stirred a bit, as if he had heard the two but from the way he had turned, something else had caught his attention. He reached over to his dresser, pulling out a small photo. Mary leaned closer, her curiosity wanting to know what it was that he was holding but she just could make it out. Gene clutched the paper, held it tighter until his hands shook but after so much, after so long….

"I can't do this."

Do what?

He dropped the paper onto the ground, the thing flitter next to his feet. He once again buried his face in his hands, feeling as he were being pulled this way, that way. His mind was in shambles; he wanted to scream, he wanted to shout. Or did he? Or would it feel better just to do nothing? To let it all pass?

But he was so angry.

But he PROMISED himself he wouldn't get this angry anymore!

But they had threatened Mary.

But-!

He just couldn't will up the motivation to move, to think, to even continue. But he knew he had to; he could not let Ralph and Vanellope down. They would be here soon and what would they say if he turned them away.

What would the entire arcade say if they heard he had turned them away?

It would be more ammo, more fodder for them to fling at him and that was the last thing he wanted, the last thing he needed.

In thirty years, THIRTY YEARS, he NEVER would have thought such a worry would cross his mind. He was actually WORRIED about letting RALPH down.

Wasn't this the same man he hated all those years ago, the same man he didn't want to be near five feet of?

The same man he often blamed for the pain of the other Nicelanders? Of other background characters?

The man whom he saw with TURBO that-?

_No, no. Don't relive that day, NEVER relive that day._

But things had changed hadn't they?

Had Ralph changed?

Had GENE changed?

Had the ARCADE changed?

That was it.

THAT was the thing that struck him the most, that HURT him the most.

It was the arcade.

The arcade that was touting Ralph and Vanellope as heroes, the ones that were cheering their praises and their worship. It was the arcade that refused to change, the arcade that had scolded those who were scared…

And yet?

And yet, they kept doing everything that made them scared in the first place. They did it to see them scared, to see them react.

There was no change, on improvement, no acceptance. Only GUILT.

Guilt and anger.

ANGER.

Gene was familiar with anger.

Mary stood before the crack in the door, her eyes filled with so much worry, her hands clasped together.

She knew something was about to happen but for the first time in a LONG time she found that she had no power to stop it. She was too afraid, too afraid to come rushing out of the closet to comfort Gene like she so desired to, like he NEEDED. All she could do was just stand there, stand there and shiver.

It was a scene she had seen before, one that rocked her to very code.

And all Calhoun could do was watch; watch, wonder and WORRY about what to do next.

Gene finally got off the bed, walking over to his dresser to pull out one of his fluffy sweaters, a familiar golden G was sewn into it.

"C'mon, Genie. You can do this. You can do this…." He mumbled to himself "You WANTED to do this. You HAVE to do this."

He HAD to do this? For whom really?

At this point, pie baking felt like TORTURE and it was only going to get worse once Ralph and Vanellope arrived.

*BING BONG!*

Right on time.

EVERYONE in the apartment flinched at the sudden tone of the doorbell but to Gene it felt like someone was hammering his HEAD.

"_Oi."_

"EY, GENIE!"

The Mayor looked over, eyes looking so cold and empty.

"Hey, Big Guy! We're waitin'!"

Everyone knew that nothing good was going to come from this.

The Mayor looked over towards the front door, the two guests still knocking loudly, his head throbbing.

Should he answer? Should he pretend he wasn't home?

His feet took him out of his room, through the kitchen, and to the door. He could hear them whispering on the other side, laughing, giggling, joking.

He shouldn't think such bad things, thinking that they were laughing at his expense, at the other's expense.

Ralph and Vanellope? They were better than that. They were GOOD GUYS! Everyone in the arcade kept going on about how good they were!

But the arcade said a LOT of things, a lot of things that had gotten people into TROUBLE.

"Ya think he's there?" the Mayor heard a child's voice said.

"Of course he is!" said the other "He NEVER breaks his promises! NEVER."

No, he never had.

Not even just this once?

"You can do this, Gene. You HAVE to do this…." The Nicelander repeated to himself over and over "You promised you would change. You promised you would be more open. This is it. This is where it starts."

Would it even mean anything? Would it prove anything?

It was only pie.


	13. Blueberry

Chapter Thirteen – Blueberry

"_YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHY DO YOU HIT HER?! ANSWER ME!"_

"_Gene, NO! STAY BACK!"_

"_FELIX, PUT ME DOWN, __**NOW!**__"_

"_Daw, is the widdle egg-head upset? Does him needa time out?"_

"_DON'T talk to me like that! DON'T talk to ANY of us like that you arrogant, DISGUSTING-!"_

"_Back off small fry! I already got my hands dirty from touchin' tha pink one. I don't any from __**YOU.**__"_

"_Alright Turbo, that is ENOUGH! Ya have gone over tha line this time!"_

"_An' what are YA gonna do about it, HUH? Ya've already shown me you're just as much of a pussy as that Wrecker of yours!" _

"_Ralph has NOTHIN' ta do with this an'-!"_

"_Heh! Just proves ta me that EVERYONE in that oversized box ya call a game IS pathetic! Pathetic good guy, pathetic bad guy, even MORE pathetic code-blobs!"_

"_Turbo, I swear…I was bein' nice enough ta ya before. I was gonna turn tha other cheek but ya have gone too far! The Nicelanders have done NOTHIN' ta ya! Ralph's done nothin' ta ya! But ya still treat 'em all like-!"_

"_Oh, drop tha lecture Hammer-Boy. Tha last thing I need ta hear right now is your goody-two-shoe blubberin'!"_

"_No! You're gonna listen ta what I hafta say because I am SICK of EVERYONE actin' so rude that-!"_

"_Rude? RUDE? HA! Boy, ya don't know RUDE but I will be GLAD ta show just how BAD of a GOOD GUY I can be, startin' with YA if ya so like. So what is it gonna be, Pie-Boy? Ya think ya can fight without that dumb-ass hammer a'yours?"_

"…_.I-I know that I-!"_

"_You're just as weak as I thought ya were, right from tha start. But I guess that's MY fault, thinkin' that some 'hero' like ya could be worth anythin' when ya got…whatever these lil shits are ta protect an' save. 'Sides, I warned ya both before."_

"_You warned us about WHAT, young man?"_

"_I told ya, Pinky. Keep your lil fat- ass in place an' shit like this won't happen to ya." _

Yeah.

THAT night.

Everything that had occurred back in the station had unleashed vivid memories that Gene had wanted to keep buried, that he wanted to keep from returning to his mind but he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop going to that night, that moment when everything had come to a head, when it became clear to him that he and the others had a 'place' and it was a place that various others wanted them to remain even to this day.

The Mayor couldn't move. He didn't want to move. All he could think about was what everyone had told him. There were so many words, so many CONFLICTING words.

Felix had told him things would be okay.

But things were NOT okay.

Calhoun had said that no one would mess with NPCs.

But then someone WOULD mess with the NPCs.

Actions spoke louder than words and the actions of the arcade had made it very clear as to their true thoughts and intentions; Litwak's hadn't changed, It hadn't changed at all. Everywhere he turned, it was the same.

No, it was worse.

It was getting worse.

He remembered what Quasar had said, the threat he had made towards Mary. The Mayor wasn't even sure Mary knew who the man was but he was so gleefully ready to hurt her, to harm her.

_To put her in her place._

Quasar had made such an open threat in front of many and as usual they did nothing to stop it. They said nothing to stop it. Like so many years ago, they just stood back and watched, watching as if it didn't matter or as if they didn't care. But Litwak's was moving forward right?

If so, why were there so many who remained the same?

* * *

"So this is tha big one?" smiled Vanellope "We're gonna see the Mayor himself? Ol' Blueberry Britches? Big Gene?"

"Yup." Nodded Ralph as he and Vanellope strolled down the halls "Consider this the final boss in our quest."

"Heh, with tha trainin' we've had, I doubt HE will be a problem!" the girl cackled, rubbing her fist.

"Kid."

The racer looked up, noticing that Ralph wasn't sharing the same look of enthusiasm as herself. If anything Ralph looked a little serious about the situation, a strange thing to show just before one goes baking.

"Say, Ralphie-Boo. What's up?"

"Nelly, I want ya ta promise me somethin'."

"Yeaaah?"

"When we go in there? Don't engage Gene about ANYTHIN'."

"Engage? What do ya mean?"

"I know Calhoun wanted us to do more than just BAKE with tha lil guys….." the wrecker said, scratching his chin nervously "But….with Gene? Somethin' tells me it would be best if we DIDN'T try ta get a rise outta him."

Vanellope stopped in her tracked and eyed Ralph suspiciously "Wow Stink-Breath, if ya didn't have that much faith in me ya could have told me earlier."

"Ya know that's NOT what I meant."

"Ya sure about that?" the girl said, sounding miffed "Look, I know I like ta mess with Genie but give me a lil credit here!"

"Vanellope? REALLY?" the wrecker grumped, arching a brow "Tell me ta truth. Ta my FACE."

"Ooooh, I can't help it okay?!" the racer blurted, throwing her hands up in aggravation "He's just so fun ta mess with! How could I resist?!"

"I'm not against ya havin' 'fun' but tha last thing I would want is a scoldin' from Felix if it were ta get out that we ended up goin' too far with 'im."

"Oh, like Genie can do anythin' about it." The girl snapped, not thinking too clearly about what she had said "He mewls to Felix about so much stuff so-!"

"No."

The girl turned, noticing Ralph looking very sternly towards her.

Uh-oh.

"No."

"No, what?"

"Watch what ya say kid."

"Watch what I say about what I say that I watch? SAY WHAT?" the girl asked curiously, her head moving to the side.

"Tha whole 'ya can't do anything!' attitude is what landed us into this mess in tha first place." the man said with a frown "It's been thrown at me, it's been thrown at you. I don't wanna hear it anymore, least of all comin' from YOU because ya know better than that. I know ya do."

"I didn't mean to sound so harsh if that's what you're belly-achin' about." the girl said "I wasn't sayin' that the blue jellybean can't say anythin' if it bothers him. I was just-!"

She stopped, putting her hands in her pockets. Darn it, why did Ralph have to give her that look? NOW she was falling for it!

"Okay, I get what you're sayin', but I can still have fun right? Or am I barred from that as well?"

"I never said ya couldn't have fun." Ralph nodded "I just don't want anyone ta leave here tonight upset. Especially you."

"Heh, actin' as if I can't take care of myself." The girl said with a forced smirk "Who knew ya were such a worry-wart?"

"Right, that's it. I'm nuthin' but a big ol' worry-wart." Ralph grimaced, turning the corner as the two neared Gene's apartment "But can ya blame me? We've had so many incidents!"

"But that will soon change! Ya can bet on it, Ralphie-Boo!"

The man knocked the door as gently as he could, taking another look at Vanellope.

"I really hope you're right kid."

"I KNOW I'm right!" the girl grinned.

Ralph knew she meant well, that she wanted nothing but the world for him but he was still cautious, still worried. Having talked with his neighbors, Ralph was getting a new perspective of just how things were turning in the arcade. After witnessing first-hand what people were doing to others, and in both Vanellope and his own name at that, the wrecker began to worry more and more that the bullying would not stop. If anything, it felt like it was starting to pick UP and knowing that people thought by doing so would put them in good favor with HIM was what struck him as the most disturbing.

The only thing Ralph wanted was for people to not view him as just the bad guy and for people to not see Vanellope as just a glitch but people were going too far. As the old saying went, the more things change, the more things stay the same and while things had indeed CHANGED, for someone it was NOT for the better.

By now, he knew the Nicelanders had gotten more than their share of 'payback' when it had gotten out how Ralph had been treated but to know that this treatment wasn't new? That people had been going after them and other background characters for YEARS and no one cared or did anything about it?

No wonder Ralph was so nervous about baking with Gene the most. He had already seen first hand what happened when something had made him upset so to imagine what would come out if the wrong words were said, if something else were mentioned?

The big man shivered; who knew something so SMALL could scare him like that!

"Ralph?"

The wrecker looked down at Vanellope "Yeah, kid?"

Vanellope tapped her foot on the ground "Try knockin' again. It's been a bit."

"O-oh, right!" the man chuckled "Somethin' was on my mind. Sorry about that."

Ralph knocked again, trying his best not to blast the door from the frame but after a moment or two, there was yet to be a Nicelander to greet them.

"Huh, that's odd." Ralph said, putting a hand on his hip "Gene is NEVER late, especially when food is involved."

"Maybe he's out?"

"He would have said somethin' beforehand." Ralph said, shaking his head "Left a note on tha door, told another one of tha Nicelanders, told FELIX!"

"Then…where is he?"

Where was Gene?

Not that far away.

It wasn't as if the man hadn't heard the knocks on the door; he could hear them clearly, the voices talking behind the wooden frame even louder in his ears.

"_Ya don't think he backed out on us, do ya?" _ said one voice.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

"_Not likely. He might be a grump but I can say that he ALWAYS keeps his promises, no matter what!"_

Wreck-it-Ralph.

Just hearing that made Gene twitch, realizing that Ralph was right. It had been thirty years of living in the arcade and in that time the little Mayor had never once dropped out of a promise he made.

Then what was holding him back?

"_I can't do this….."_ he mumbled, his body refusing to move off the bed "I can't do this!"

"_Oh PROGRAMMERS, what do I do?"_ Mary whimpered, clutching her hands tightly _"Gene thinks HE can't move!? I feel even WORSE!_"

"_Okay, I don't care HOW weird it looks comin' out like this, we gotta move!"_ growled Calhoun but before she could KICK the door down-

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

One more set of knocks.

Gene looked at the door, feeling as if the entire hall were stretching out for miles in front of him. His head was hurting, his body felt so heavy and slow.

But he had to move. He HAD to keep his promise.

With Mary and Calhoun still peering from the hiding place in the closet the man FINALLY rose from the bed and slugged his way towards the door.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Please, I just don't want this to end badly."

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Please, I don't want to make things WORSE!"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"PLEASE! I just want-!"

"Genie!" Vanellope chirped brightly, and most importantly, LOUDLY "'Bout time ya opened up!"

The girl's high-pitched voice was doing wonders to add strength to Gene's headache but he pushed through the pain, looking up and forcing a wide grin.

"Ssssssorry. I was cleaning up last minute. I wanted to ensure that things were orderly before-!"

"Whoa, what happened ta ya?" The girl interrupted, her mind catching up to realize that Gene wasn't dressed in the usual fashion she was used to "Um, this IS the right apartment? Mayor Gene? Always dresses fancy, combs his hair back, stern look on his face?"

The man put a hand to his forehead, feeling his body shudder with his growing annoyance.

"I-I just had to dress down, if you must know. I-I erm, SPILLED some things on my suit before you arrived, that's all."

Ralph knew better than that. No matter what would happen, even if things got incredibly chaotic, Gene would go out of his way to ensure that he looked his best for whatever event he had to appear in. Seeing him look so, for the lack of better terms, FRUMPY just didn't add up to the man.

Something HAD happened, something BIG but for whatever reason the Nicelander was keeping his lips shut about it, even if his attempt to do so were coming off rather badly.

"Oh, if that were the case we could have helped ya." Ralph said, now finding himself trying to poke Gene on "I wouldn't have complained!"

"Th-this was something that didn't concern you!" the Nicelander snapped, cursing to himself a second later that he had come off so aggressively "I-I mean-! I'm SURE you two had other things to worry about! There's no need to rush here ALL THE TIME for every little skirmish!"

Skirmish?

Ralph arched a brow; NOW he knew that something had DEFINITELY happened.

"Then let's get started!" Vanellope sang as she glitched passed Gene, the bright light of it only adding to his migraine.

"Kid, wait." Ralph reached out "Gene knows the way 'round his kitchen better than YOU. Let him get things set up for us!"

"R-Right…." The Nicelander said as he staggered towards the kitchen "So if you could PLEASE just move back a bit, I would-!"

"So what type'a pie do ya make?" the girl asked curiously as she inspected the tools before her, Gene trying his all to reach up and take them from him.

"It's just a blueberry pie!" he pleaded "JUST blueberry! Nothing special about it!"

"Nothin' special?" the girl scoffed, poking Gene on his round nose "It seems like EVERY pie here has a story, so I EXPECT ta hear tha HISTORY OF THA PIE from you as well, MAAAYOR!"

Ralph looked over, never having seen such an irritated look on Gene's face.

"I just-"

Ralph looked down at the girl, giving her a warning glare "Kid, what did I tell ya?"

"I'm not botherin' tha man, Ralph!" Vanellope protested, unaware of the look forming on Gene's face "I just wanna know!"

"_Awwww, MAN!"_ whispered Calhoun as she looked at the unfolding scene from the bedroom _"He's givin' 'em a look junior Cybugs give before they eat someone's FACE off!"_

"_Young lady, get back here!"_

Even if Mary wanted Calhoun to move away from the door, it wasn't as if SHE didn't want to take a look at what was going on either. The Nicelander in pink had let her curiosity get the better of her and now she wasn't sure if she wanted to escape or continue to watch on. She felt so conflicted as part of her knew it would be better to hide but the other part, the part that cared so much for Gene, just wanted to rush out of the bedroom to embrace him, to tell him that things would be okay.

But given the situation, doing so might not have been a good idea.

"_Hey, Ralph?"_ Vanellope whispered as she leaned over to her friend _"Ya can't tell me I'm tha only one who feels a bit odd here."_

"_Shhh. Maybe he just had a rough day. I mean, we DID have a lotta extra bonus rounds so-!"_

"_DAMN IT!"_

Both character jolted as they heard the slight swear from over at the refrigerator. Gene was standing before the open door, his attitude not improving at all.

"Genie?"

"I try to get everything set up…." The man growled to himself "I try to make sure everything is PERFECT, that you two will enjoy yourself but EVERYTHING STILL FALLS APART!"

Vanellope was certain that EVERYONE in the ARCADE could have heard the man shouting after that!"

"What's wrong, sir?"

"I-I just don't have any blueberries." The Nicelander said, hands shaking "I-I mean-! I HAD some but when I was in the station earlier, I-!"

"Did somethin' happen?" Ralph asked in concern, walking over the Mayor "Because if it did, then I can-!"

"No, no, NO!" the Nicelander declared "Nothing happened, Ralph. Absolutely NOTHING!"

"Okay, Gene! Somethin' is goin' on! Tha way you're actin', tha way you're dressed! Did someone DO somethin' to ya?"

"NO!" the man growled, reaching up and taking a bowl of flour from the counter "NOTHING happened Ralph so can we PLEASE get started before-!"

"How can we make a pie without the fillin'?" asked the Wrecker "We can go ta market somewhere an' get some more if we-!"

"I am NOT going back out there tonight!" the Nicelander said in a rush "No! NO, I'm sure one of the others have some blueberries! We can-!"

"Gene, STOP!" Ralph said as he grabbed the man by the back of his collar "I just wanna help! Don't-!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Gene cried out but in his haste to pull away he stumbled, tripping over his own feet and rolling backwards towards the wall.

"GENE!"

"NYAAAGH!"

In his stumble, the bowl of flour flew into the air only to land atop Ralph's head. He too let out a cry and fell back hard on his bottom, a bowl of eggs and some other things taking flight into the air and raining down on EVERYTHING within the kitchen!

"YIKES!" Vanellope cried out, glitch-stumbling on her face as she was pelted with eggs and sugar. Gene tried his best to duck but he too ended up covered.

Not even a minute.

It had taken less than a minute and already the Mayor's apartment had been trashed. Everyone, from the three in the kitchen to the two other unknown guest in the bedroom, was silent. Ralph's nose tickled from the flour and he sneezed, only to hear a few more things rolling from the counter and crashing onto the floor. Vanellope slowly peeked up, her hair covered in yolk and shell but Gene looked ahead. Butter and a few other things were splattered all over him but he just looked ahead, both seeing the red just spreading throughout his entire body.

"_Oh no…."_ Mary meeped as she pulled Calhoun away from the door _"This isn't going to end well."_

Indeed it was not.

The little Niceland couldn't even hear Ralph and Vanellope talking amongst themselves as they got in a scramble to figure out what to do.

We have to clean this up!

Wait, that doesn't go there!

Ralph, watch out!

Vanellope, you're spillin' more on tha floor!

All the noise! All the clattering! It was just everywhere! It was too much! It was-!

_**STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!**_

Now THAT was a shout that everyone heard! The two guest looked over at Gene, the man getting back on his feet and glaring daggers at them.

"Gene, if ya want us ta clean up tha mess we got it!" Ralph said franticly "Its no problem at all an' then we can-!"

"_Mess?"_ the Nicelander growled in his voice _**"YOU WANT A MESS?!"**_

"Gene?!"

In a fury of anger, Gene grabbed the remaining eggs on the counter and HURLED them throughout the kitchen!

"_**THIS IS A MESS! BUT I CAN MAKE IT BETTER THAN THAT!"**_

"Gene, STOP!" begged Ralph, getting his on the side of the face with an egg.

"_**FORGET PIE!"**_ Gene screamed as he threw a bowl at the wall _**"FORGET BAKING! FORGET MEDALS! FORGET EVERYTHING! IT DOESN'T MATTER! NOTHING MATTERS!"**_

"Mayor, that's ENOUGH!" the Wrecker said as he reached down and took the still thrashing Nicelander into his giant hands, holding him tight "For programmer's sake! If this isn't a clear sign that somethin' happened before we got here, I don't know WHAT is!"

"You can't wrench anything from ME, Ralph!" the man said, continuing to struggle "Don't even TRY your stupid condescending 'nice guy' talk on me! I've had enough of it!"

"I'm only tryin' ta help, SIR!" the larger man growled "You're tha one who is makin' everythin' into a bigger problem!"

"_**HOW CAN YOU BLAME ME FOR THAT?!"**_ the Mayor roared, Ralph certain he could feel heat building up around him "I wouldn't be in HALF the condition I'm in right now if YOU and your patronizing friends weren't trying so hard to 'teach us a lesson' then-!"

"I don't even know what you're talkin' about Gene!" Ralph said as he placed the man back on the ground "I already told ya before that I wanted nothin' ta do with those guys who keep botherin' ya so there's-!"

"There's no need for YOU ta keep blamin' him like that, GENE!"

Both men turned, Vanellope marching right up to Gene and looking just as angry as he was.

"Vanellope, WAIT!" Ralph said as he reached down for her but she glitched just out of his hold "We don't need this! I-!"

"I can't believe ya! All ya ever do is _**YELL**_ at him!" the racer growled, making her presence known to the smaller man "WHY?! He's just tryin' ta help ya an' you're goin' after him like a rabid devil dog!"

The Nicelander was a little surprised at just how angry the racer could become but that didn't mean he had been backed into a corner, not with the way he was feeling.

"Young lady, don't you DARE start with me!"

"Then what is with tha act, huh?!" the girl yelled.

"What ACT?!"

"Ever since we got here, ya've been actin' funny! Don't try ta pretend ya haven't!"

"Th-there are reasons for my mood at the moment, I can assure you!" Gene growled, placing a hand on his throbbing temple.

"Then what is it?!" the girl bellowed "What happened an' what does RALPH have anythin' ta do with it?!"

"_**THAT**_ is none of your business, Ms. Von Schweetz." The Mayor hissed as he looked up at the girl.

"Then why are ya actin' like ya don't want him here, that ya don't want EITHER of us here?!"

"I DID!" the man cried out "I had everything planned out! I had everything ready! I DID want both of you here, I assure-!"

"_Liar."_

Gene looked up, the girl looking down at him with such bitterness.

"_What….did you call me?" _

"I said you're a liar, MAYOR." The girl said, poking him in the chest hard "Admit it."

Ralph went in to take Vanellope by the shoulder "Vanellope, stop!"

With one glitch she had moved from Ralph's hand and continued to march up to Gene.

"Admit that tha only reason you're actin' like this is because ya don't want Ralph or ME here!"

"That-! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" the Mayor said, pushing the girl's hand away but she glitched out his way only to appear on the other, making him stumble.

"VANELLOPE!"

"WHY DO YOU STILL HATE HIM!?"

"I DON'T!"

"WHY DO YOU STILL HATE RALPH?!"

Gene covered his ears, his head pounding "I said I DON'T hate him! If you just let me EXPLAIN myself then-!"

"No! I'm tired of watin' on ya!" the racer said "Ralph has done nothin' ta ya! ABSOLUTLY NOTHIN' an' this is how ya treat him?!"

Gene felt as if he were surrounded from all corners, the racer's voice binding him tighter and tighter "Young lady, please understand-!"

Vanellope was FUMING now, sick of the little man's excuses "I've had it up ta HERE with YOU, Nicelander Gene! Why can't ya just leave Ralph alone!?"

"I HAVE!" the man screamed, trying his all to keep from reacting too harshly towards the girl "For the love of God, I've given him nothing but space and respect since all of this happened! Why won't you guys see that!?_** WHY WON'T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME?!**_"

"All you've done is bully Ralph!" the girl cut in, pushing Gene back "THAT'S ALL YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO HIM!"

"Stop PUSHING ME!" the mayor said, his temper slipping "You have NO RIGHT to put your hands on me like that young lady, NO MATTER YOUR TITLE!"

"Ya talk like ya know!" the girl said, feeling tears coming from her eyes "Ya guys act like ya know what it's ike ta be bullied but ya don't! YA DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TA BE-AAAH!"

Vanellope cried out as she felt a strong grip grab her wrist and upon looking down she noticed WHO it was that had grabbed her.

"Don't….you DARE."

Gene?

"_Don't you DARE say that._" the man repeated, pulling Vanellope closer "Don't you DARE say we don't know what it feels like to be bullied! DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT, MISSY!"

The girl quickly glitched out Gene's hold, tip-toeing back towards Ralph as she held her wrist. She had never expected Gene to react in such a way towards her but from what she was looking at, she quickly realized that she had made a mistake in her words.

"Gene, don't start this again." Ralph said as he stood protectively over his friend "We both went through this before and-!"

"You don't think we know what it's like to be bullied? Is that what you really think?"

"Gene, it was a mistake! She didn't mean it!"

"You want to know something?" the Nicelander said, taking off his glasses "THAT. THAT right there. 'We didn't MEAN it!' 'We didn't know!' THAT is the little song and dance people have been giving us for YEARS when they want to pass the buck off themselves."

The mayor placed his hands behind his back as he approached the two. He had calmed down but not by much, the anger still clear in his expression.

"No, I guess _**WEEE**_ don't know what it's like to be bullied, PRESIDENT. Us Nicelanders have NEVER been pushed around! Have _**NEVER**_ been told that we don't matter, have _**NEVER**_ been made to feel like crap because of our jobs or who _**WE**_ are! Only **BAD GUYS** and **GLITCHES** ever have trouble, right Ms. President! EVERYONE ELSE LIVES PERFECT LIVES, NO PROBLEMS!"

Gene's tone struck a chord with Ralph, the man reaching down "Okay, I was bein' patient before Gene but NOW you're goin' too far with this! I already know what ya told me so-!"

"_**YOU**_ know!" Gene said as he side-stepped Ralph's move. He then pointed towards Vanellope "But _**SHE**_ doesn't!"

"ME?!" Vanellope pointed to herself.

"Yes, YOU!" the Mayor said "Yes, YOU young lady! I've been nice enough about it before! I've TRIED to be more open minded since I learned about what happened to you but I can't do this anymore! I JUST CAN'T! I am not going to let everyone else here suffer just so people can entertain YOU and RALPH by kicking us around! We already went through that with TURBO when he tried to rope both Felix AND Ralph into his little gang, I'm not repeating it again!"

"RALPH?!" Vanellope gasped, a look of horror written on her face "W-Wait….what do you mean-?"

"Tell her." Gene growled "Tell her, Ralph my boy. TELL HER."

The girl looked up, eyes as wide as dinner plates and her mouth nearly hitting the floor.

"R-Ralph…what does he mean you-?!"

"_What's Genie talkin' about?_" Calhoun asked Mary as the two remained ducked down in the bedroom _"What's this about Turbo tryin' ta get Felix an' Ralph ta join him?"_

Ralph hesitated, his hands starting to sweat but he knew he could not deny the truth. If he didn't let it out, it would only fester within him and looking at Vanellope's face, it would only make things worse. If he wanted anything to get better, if he wanted to feel better, he would have to tell the truth.

"I-!"

"Ralph, tell me!"

The big man took a breath and finally….

"Y-Yeah. Turbo tried to get me onto his side."

Vanellope paled, her legs shaking under her. She turned towards Gene, the man looking off to the side with a disappointed expression on his face.

"H-he did?!"

"Y-yes." The big man nodded "It was just so long ago an'….an' after I learned what he had been doin' ta so many other people here, I couldn't do it."

"But I remember it." Gene said, his voice rumbling low in his chest "I REMEMBER it plain as day. I remember those nights when Turbo would tried to lead both you and Felix off into his little gang, to add to his collection of 'friends'."

"Friends?" said Vanellope.

"We all know how much of an ego Turbo had." Ralph frowned "When we were plugged in, tha first thing that he did was try to get Felix ta join him because he was a good guy an' after he saw me? I'm guessin' since I was tha big one of tha bunch, he figured if he schmoozed me over I could have been his BODY-GUARD."

"B-But you didn't fall for it, did you?!" asked Vanellope "Please tell me ya didn't!"

"NO."

The two looked over, Gene looking down at the floor with an admission of guilt on his face.

"No, he didn't." the man said "At least….I found out he hadn't much too late."

"But by that time, tha damage had already been done."

"What damage?" asked Vanellope.

"Tha whole bad guy thing? Tha way people were scared of us? Let's just say that before that night, THAT mindset was never in place, at least not as strong as it had been since then."

Vanellope was confused, hoping that either men would answer her questions but it felt like both were trying their best to avoid stating the truth, no matter how much keeping it shut hurt them.

"I had heard rumors…." Ralph continued "I had heard RUMORS of what Turbo an' some of his gang had been doin' but I didn't believe it. Even I didn't think a good guy an' main characters could be that bad! For tha most part, I just thought that Turbo was ANNOYIN' but had I known that he was treatin' tha Nicelanders like I WOULD have stepped in! I WOULD have done somethin' about it!"

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway." Gene said "As I have said, NO ONE cares what happens to an NPC an' its not just US. It was EVERY NPC in tha arcade!"

"But Mayor!" Vanellope said, looking at the man with such a look of heart-break he couldn't take it "Why would you get angry at Ralph all these years?!"

"He had his reasons."

"What were tha reasons?!"

Ralph crossed his arms against his chest "I blamed him."

"And I the same….." said Gene.

"A-About what?"

"It was about that night. That night Turbo hit Mary." Started Gene.

"A few hours before, I had cut my ties with Turbo." Said Ralph "I didn't want ANYTHIN' ta do with tha lil crook but by that time, he had already got me ta think that NPCs WERE just scared of me because of who I was an' because they couldn't think beyond that. Programmin' ya know? I had no idea that his actions or those of his buddies were just layin' tha groundwork for what was ta come."

"After what had happened, when we came back to Niceland?" continued Gene "I found out even MORE of what had happened to the others, what Turbo had done to them, what his FOLLOWERS had done to them. It was just so much at once that I had no idea how to take it and then when Ralph came back…."

"When I came back, I saw that everyone was so upset but since I was still angry at Turbo, at what he had said about me AN' Felix-"

"_Felix?"_ Calhoun whispered, her heart racing.

"I just let my anger take over, I really did think that tha Nicelanders were panckin' over NOTHIN'."

"And then the fight began."

"An' in it, I hit G-"

Before he could finish, Ralph took a quick look up, noticing that Gene was frantically shaking his head, as if he were warning Ralph.

_Don't tell her! DON'T TELL HER!_

The Wrecker quickly got the message, even more so when he saw just how upset Vanellope was looking. It was clear she understood what had happened but she still could not believe it. She just could not believe the reason the Nicelanders had distanced themselves from Ralph and just how tightly Turbo had was wound into EVERYTHING. She looked at Gene once more, seeing just how tired and exhausted he looked.

"So you see Ms. President, THAT is it. THAT is the reason why we were scared of Ralph." The man said "No, it wasn't programming, it wasn't code. We had all gotten caught into a web that was spun by you-know-who. ALL of us. He had made Ralph think we were too stupid to think of him as anything else and he had gotten us to think that Ralph actually _**WANTED**_ to hurt us."

The little racer swallowed back, walking towards the Mayor but he seemed to want to keep his distance from her, if only because he was so ashamed of what he finally had to admit.

"And the thing that hurts the most? He actually SUCCEEDED. Turbo actually won because he got ALL of us to distrust each other when there was no reason to do so. And after he was gone, he had left his mark on EVERYONE'S minds. They began to follow in his footsteps in some form or another."

"B-But….the others…." Vanellope squeaked "Th-they told me what happened! W-was it really even WORSE than that?"

Gene straightened up, walking through the kitchen to avoid the mess on the floor.

"You know Meg's pet?"

Vanellope nodded "Ya mean Earl Grey?"

"Cute thing, isn't it?" the man smiled "I'm pretty sure she acted a little funny when you tried to get close to it, right?"

"Y-Yes, she did."

"Well, did she tell you about the time some guys broke into her apartment, STOLE IT, and threatened to _**KILL IT?**_"

Vanellope glitched in horror at the words, subconsciously reaching for her neck "W-what?!"

"Or Roy's album. I know he told you how Felix got beaten up just to get it back? But I'm sure he left out the parts where he opened the album to find the photos VANDALIZED and he's NEVER asked Felix to repair those!"

Ralph blanched, remember the moment the album had torn in his hand "Oh programmers, REALLY?"

"Or when Nel had her dress nearly ripped off by one of Turbo's devotees!" the Mayor continued "And for what reason? No reason at all! She was just another background NPC who DESERVED to be harassed for the entertainment of others!"

Now it was no wonder Nel had gotten so upset when Ralph looked through her drawings.

"I could go on, you know." Gene said "Donald? What they did to him when they found out his programming was MEANT to be a joke? Lucile and Anthony? What they did to them to nearly force them to move away from each other? Or maybe I should state some of the LOVELY words that were thrown at KAL over the years! He's nice enough about it, but I doubt that Miss Von Schweetz even knows of the details about THAT or do you think she is OLD enough to hear some of them?"

The girl slid to the floor, her hands on her head.

"How could he do so much to this place?"

"Power."

Vanellope blinked, looking over at Gene again "Huh?"

"Because he had POWER." The man said "Think about it for a second. He was the hot new guy in what at the time was the most powerful game in the arcade. Turbo KNEW he could get people to listen to him and he LAVISHED in it. And with the arcade being a lot smaller back then, it wasn't as if Turbo had THAT much competition. Even when WE were plugged in, he made sure to play the part to try to get Felix and Ralph onto his side."

"Then what made Felix say no?" asked the girl "I mean, he's so nice an' has a heart for ANYONE. What could have made him turn away?"

"I guess ol' Felix saw through tha ol' doof before I did." Ralph said, as he sat next to Vanellope. He paused, laughing softly "I know I keep makin' of him for bein' so flighty but I hafta give Felix credit where he deserves it. He KNEW Turbo was trouble after their first meetin' but I guess it was his friendly nature an' his own disdain for paintin' people so badly that kept a lot of people from listenin' those first few years."

"Even when he got into that fight." Gene piped in.

"Even WHEN he did." Nodded Ralph.

"An' you?" Vanellope asked Gene "Didn't ya do anythin'?"

"Little Miss, you've heard it from all of us." Said Gene "We_** TRIED**_ to get people to listen to us. We _**TRIED**_ to get people to stop Turbo but they didn't-DO-ANYTHING. That's why it kills me to see people acting like this because all it proves it that after THIRTY YEARS, NO ONE wants to change! They want to keep things as they are so they won't have to admit their own mistakes!"

Gene ran a hand through his hair, as he always did when he was nervous.

"You know something though? I admit it. I admit that we were wrong about Ralph right here and now but it still won't mean anything to these people. NONE of my words from day one have meant ANYTHING and all they want us to do is keep us in our little shells of fear since it makes it easier for them. I mean, with everyone ordering us to apologize do you think ANY of them apologized for what they've done to us?"

Gene began to turn red in the face again, tossing a pie pan on the floor.

"Do you think ANYONE apologized to Megan when they scared her so much she refused to come out of the apartments or a WEEK? To Norwood when they purposely made him sick to see his reactions? To Pearl? To Carlos? TO Deanna?! TO ANYONE ONE OF US when they made our lives a living hell back then!?"

Gene slammed a hand on the wall, still feeling the rush of anger all around him.

"NO! No they did not! They NEVER apologized! That was fine, that was okay! We're BACKGROUND CHARACTERS! It's ALWAYS our fault because we're nothing but stupid, useless bits of data that HAVE no purpose just to be in the back! We mean nothing so they treat us like NOTHING! What they did wasn't BULLYING! IT was teaching us a lesson! A lesson we apparently deserved for having the AUDACITY of trying to enjoy ourselves in this stupid arcade!"

By now, Vanellope had gotten the message loud and clear. While she had found her freedom with the fall of Turbo there was still so much more that the arcade needed to do if it were to untangle itself from his influence. The racer might have been gone but from what she had been told and what she had witnessed, it was like he had never left. People were still being bullied, people were still being pushed around.

She knew it wasn't right, she felt that THEY knew it wasn't right but it didn't matter to them. Just so long as they had an excuse, whether they were calling it revenge or justice, people would continue to bully.

The girl looked around the kitchen, the entire place a mess. Gene leaned on the wall, his hands covering his face.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry for messing up EVERYTHING." The man said, sighing heavily "Trust me when I say that I really WAS looking forward to this. I WAS….but before you arrived I was quickly reminded of my 'place'."

"In other words, ya got in a fight." Snorted Ralph "Guess that explains why ya looked a bit tossed around when we got here."

"Yes, and I could have handled it so much better had they not brought Mary into the mix."

Upon hearing her name, Mary felt her face flare with blush, almost crying out in shock.

"_Th-they did what?"_

"In the end of things, I've come to the realization that while I do get annoyed when people take their jokes too far with me, it's only when the OTHERS are brought into the mix that I get REALLY angry. They don't deserve to be dragged into this, they don't. Yet people still feel the need to force them into some nonsense issue and as I've stated before, it's not just US. Its EVERY NPCs that I've talked to since our meetings began!"

The mayor rubbed his temples, unable to stop at this point.

"The things that we've learned from other background characters. The things that their good and bad guys have done to them! You'd turn green in DISGUST if you could hear it yourself but if there is anything that has disturbed me the most is how it's picked up since YOU two have come into the spotlight!"

"That's what I don't get!" said Ralph "I will take your word that people have bullied background characters but why pick it up?"

"Because of US." The Mayor said "Since WE'RE the ones who caused you the most pain, everyone is using what we do to YOU as an excuse to go even harder on EVERY background character!"

"But how is that fair?!" growled Vanellope "I mean-! I don't treat our NPCs bad! Tha other guys don't so-!"

"Oh, those little candy people haven't said anything about YOU, young lady." Said the mayor "If anything, your NPCs, the one that come anyway, have always spoken the world of you and your friends."

"Then who HAVE they been talking about?"

"King Candy of course. It seems that he had a particular way of going about some of your NCPs back when he was in rule but even if he has bitten the proverbial dust, someone else has taken his place outside your game."

"Oh gobs…" said the racer "An' no one is doin' anythin' ta stop this?"

"Not since we put up the NPC Support Group." Said Gene "Before then, we had nowhere to go, no one to talk to. Looking back, I can only count myself and the others lucky that Felix was around. He was always there to listen to us and we could always count on him. That's why we 'worshipped' him as so many have put it. _**THEY**_ weren't helping us, but _**HE**_ was!"

Gene lowered his head, looking off to the side.

"But I guess asking for a little peace is too much to ask, isn't it?" he grumbled "You wanted to race young lady?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanted to prove you're more than a bad guy, Ralph?"

"Er, yeah."

"Well, what I want is for people to LEAVE US ALONE. Simple as that. I never wanted people to praise us, or to fawn us, or to wait on us hand a foot. I just wanted people to stop messing with us and scaring us. What is so difficult about fulfilling a request like that? That's basic character respect right there. Or are NPCs not characters so we don't get respect?"

The mayor slouched on the wall, feeling so worn and exhausted.

"_Blurgh, I'm just TIRED."_

As if to embarrass the man even further, Gene's stomach growled loudly. He blushed deeply, putting his hands on the chubby surface.

"Check that. Tired AND hungry."

"Um, I guess PIE is out of the question?" Ralph asked as he looked around at the unholy mess that had once been the Mayor's kitchen.

"I don't know…." Gene moaned "I feel like I'm being pulled in thirty different direction of AWFUL. I don't know what I want anymore."

"Well, I know what ya NEED." Ralph smiled, reaching down and picking the tiny man off the ground.

"NYAAGH!"

"I think SOMEONE needs to take a visit to a certain eatery in Street Fighter Two. That'll put ya right back on your feet."

"As long as you're payin'!" laughed Vanellope "C'mon! I'm hungry too anyway! Maybe something spicy? Maybe something savory? Ya think they got that?"

"They have all of that an' more!" Ralph laughed "An' knowin' Big Gene's appetite, it's just right up his alley!"

Gene didn't even attempt to fight free, allowing Ralph to carry him out of the apartment like a rag doll.

"Yeah….yeah. Getting out of this place DOES sound good…."

"Say, um. Do ya think we should, I dunno, shower before we go anywhere?" asked Vanellope.

"A quick spray with a hose should do fine!"

Gene had all but given up now "Oh, sweet _**GHOST."**_

Once the door was shut, all was still in the tiny home. That was until…

"Wow. Just….WOW."

Calhoun exited the bedroom, still looking astonished at what had taken place before her.

"Geeze…an' I thought OUR game was rough. Guess ya learn a thing or two once ya been here a while, huh?"

Mary didn't respond, the little woman following slowly after the marine. She just couldn't speak up after what she had witnessed. She was hoping that things wouldn't come to such a head, that Gene wouldn't explode like he had done on Ralph after the strike but there was no way to hide the facts anymore. The group couldn't sugar-coat what had transpired on all parties over the years and it felt like no amount of smiles or nods could hide the shame nor pain that Mary was feeling.

"Do you understand it now?" she finally said, still looking at the wrecked kitchen "Do you see WHY I wanted you to speak, young lady?"

Calhoun tapped her chin "I think so?"

"We need heroes like you, like Felix. Like….like Ralph and Vanellope…." The woman trembled "We need heroes like you to remind others that not everyone looks down on us, that not everyone is out to scare us or…or put us in our place."

Calhoun understood exactly what Mary had meant, the woman standing tall above her.

"Ma'am, you have my word that I'll help take care'a things here."

The woman smirked, rubbing her nose as she looked over towards the wall, spying the clock.

"In fact, why don't cha take a break on tha meetin' tonight? I think I can cover it for ya!"


	14. Humble

Chapter Fourteen – Humble

"He's on his fifth bowl…." Vanellope said in awe as she looked forward "FIVE. BOWLS. Five bowls that would be the size of FIVE NORMAL BOWLS!"

"Told ya he was a walking blackhole." Ralph chuckled, only part-way through his second bowl of steaming ramen "But if ya wanna see somethin', ya should see him when he's REALLY hungry!"

"Wait, this ISN'T 'really hungry'?!"

As the Wrecker had promised, he had taken the trio out for a much needed break away from Niceland, traveling the arcade to one of the comfy ramen eateries in Street Fighter. Vanellope was having a blast, the girl having never experiences such an establishment before in her life but from the way both Ralph and Gene had made their way through the place, it was obvious that both men had been to the place before.

Maybe not together but the group of fighters were there to give the two a friendly greeting and give them the best seats in the house.

Aside from that, there were TABS to keep up with.

"So." Smirked Chun-Li as she approached the eating area "Another one for you all?"

Vanellope looked down at the soup; it was MUCH too big for her to even DREAM of completing by herself in one sitting and she could tell that even Ralph was slowing down a bit after his second helping.

"I don't think so." Said the girl "But it was great! Best soup I've ever tasted!"

"I'm glad ya like it kiddo." Smiled the fighter "An' Ralph, what about you cutie-pie?"

"This is enough."

"Aw, really? Only two bowls? You disappointment me!"

And Gene?

He was right next to Ralph, three phonebooks planted under his behind as he sat on his chair, dining away in some sort of zen-like manner, his hands clasped gracefully onto his chopsticks even if his hands were greatly undersized for them.

Chun-Li turned her head, trying desperately not to break out into laughter at what she was witnessing. Perhaps HONDA had a better chance of matching wits with the Nicelander.

"S-so, do YOU need a *pfft!* another one, sir?"

Gene finished off the remains of the bowl before placing it on the stacks with the others.

Would he ask?

"Is there any pork-bone type left, ma'am?" he asked softly "I would like some of that, please."

The fighter tried to keep a straight face, her cheeks puffing from the suppressed laugh that wanted to escape as she turned and marched off.

"R-right away sir! I'll see what we can get for you!"

One had to wonder if Gene was even savoring what he was consuming for all that both Ralph and Vanellope knew, he was just inhaling ANYTHING to bring about a sense of satisfaction. He huffed, trying to keep his manners about him as he would never allow others to see him stuff his face in such a way had he been in his right mind.

But hey, free food. There was no way that Gene was going to turn this down.

"So the drinkin'?" Vanellope said towards Ralph "That's not tha only thing he takes a lot of?"

"Tell me, what sounds much funnier an' more inappropriate for kids ta remember? That he EATS a lot or DRINKS a lot?"

"Don't act like I'm not here."

"Oh, how could we NOT notice ya?" the Wrecker chuckled "All tha empty plates an' tha crew back there laughin' is a sure sign of your presence."

The Nicelander let out a whining moan but he was too beat to muster up an angry look "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALPH. I'm TIREEEEED!"

"Okay, it was just a joke, Genie. Just a joke. But ya do feel better, don't ya?"

Gene wiped his mouth politely, folding his hands on the table "Yes. Yes I do."

"Then that point goes ta Ralph!" Vanellope cheered "I guess getting' out of those apartments WAS a good idea, eh?"

"Yeah, it seems like it." The Nicelander said, feeling both a twinge of shame given the way the other two were looking at him but he also felt a sense of calmness about him. He couldn't deny that both Ralph and Vanellope were ATTEMPTING to cheer him up and after what he had done. After what he had said about them….

"Thanks."

"For what?" Ralph asked.

"Just…for this, young man." Said the Mayor "Aaaaah, the one time. The ONE time I get myself excited about making a pie and I have to go and ruin it because of some tussle in the station."

"Ya were bein' serious." Said Vanellope, her voice softening "Ya were bein' serious about wantin' ta bake with us?"

"Oh, yes I was." The Mayor nodded "After hearing all the stories that the others had said of you, I couldn't help but feel a tad envious about it."

"Envious?" blinked Ralph "Really?"

Gene nodded again "You already know, my boy. We don't…"

The man paused, looking around in caution to make sure no one else was listening in on the conversation.

"The allies that we do have were are very few. We are thankful for the friends that we do have but what you've done for everyone, it's just…."

The man looked down, chuckling to himself.

Wow, was this how things had become? Never in his life would Gene have thought he would be complimenting Ralph in such a manner. The man looked up, trying once more to play posh before the two.

"It's just nice to see everyone having fun with each other, I suppose." Gene said "The others enjoyed your company very much and for some?"

"Ah-huh?" said Ralph.

Gene tapped his fingers on the tabletop, a lump forming in his throat.

"Its been so long, you guys. So long since I've really felt like the guys were TRULY happy, that they felt at easy and weren't worried about anyone busting in to bother them."

"I'm just sorry I never knew about all this stuff." Said Vanellope.

"Why? What would you have done if you DID know?" Gene blinked.

"I would have shown those bullies a ONE-TWO Vanellope PUNCH, that's what!" the girl laughed "Like I told Ms. Meggy, NO ONE is gonna mess with any pals'a mine!"

Pals?

Did Vanellope actually say that?

Gene wasn't too sure he had heard the girl correctly but either way, it was something to see her acting so enthusiastically towards him. He couldn't hide it from himself that he was worried; he was worried that just like everyone else in the arcade, Vanellope would try some excuse as to why she could mess with the Nicelanders twenty-four seven but to see her just being herself, dropping all titles and formalities.

The kid was a bit too high-strung for his nerves but there was no denying that she was a good kid.

"I still wanna know what happened, Genie."

The Mayor turned his attention towards Ralph, the man finishing off the egg in his ramen.

"Excuse me?"

"What did those guys say to you in the station." Said the Wrecker "I wanna know because I'm gonna see that this stuff ends."

"Ralph, it doesn't concern you."

"Oh yes it does." The man said "People are threatenin' MY neighbors so it IS my business. I would do somethin' if someone did tha same ta FELIX, so I'm doin' it for all of ya!"

Was this bizarro world or something? Gene HAD to be dreaming, he HAD to be!

"Ralph, I don't want to place you into a situation that does not concern you!" the Mayor said, trying his best to convience Ralph "That…..PERSON said some terrible things and I jumped the gun about it! I don't want it to escalate any further then it had to go!"

"Ya said he said somethin' 'bout Mary though." The Wrecker growled "NO ONE talks bad about Ms. Mary!"

Gene blushed horribly, his stomach filled with soup AND butterflies. He inhaled deeply, hoping that his cheeks would return to their normal color and fast but more than that, he wanted to prevent both Ralph AND Vanellope from landing themselves into trouble.

"I don't know how Mary does it."

"How she does WHAT, Genie?" said Vanellope.

"How she was able to take everything all these years." The Mayor said "She's done it better than most of us, better than ME. Year after year after YEAR, she's being able to hold her head up and smile but I just don't get it. I just don't understand where her strength has come from."

The mayor shifted in his seat, placing his cheek in his hand as he leaned forward.

"At first, I thought it was code. I was so hard-wired into thinking everything was just code but when I met her for the first time, something went off. Something told me she was a lot braver than what our description of a Nicelander usually is."

"Heh, maybe its that smile'a hers." Ralph chucked "Ya know ya can't say no or stay angry when ya look at her!"

"_Her smile…."_

Racer and Wrecker looked forward, Gene's smile growing bigger and bigger, his cheeks growing warmer and warmer. He was becoming lost in his thoughts, in his dreams about his beloved.

"Her smile. Her voice, her touch." The Mayor droned on "Everything about her. Everything she does, it has helped us so much. She has helped us in ways you would never know, Ralph."

"Tell me." The man said "I'm here to listen."

"Even back then, even when things were starting to turn sour for us, she was always there to help the others. No matter what the situation was, no matter who was in trouble, Mary was there. In some cases, she would get there before either Felix and I did!"

"Seriously" said Vanellope, nibbling at the end of her chopsticks.

"All those terrible nights, we would find her talking with the others. Both of us would watch. She tried to reassure Meg that there was nothing wrong, that there was nothing to fear. She told Don that it didn't matter if his backstory was a joke to poke fun at his bad cooking. Heck, I could even say that one of the reasons Nel and Nory are always flirting with each other was because SHE told him to buck up and help her when she got her dress torn."

The Mayor sniffed softly, feeling a might silly at the moment.

"Felix would always say such nice things to her and she would go out of her way to ensure that he was taken care of. That everything was perfect for him, that he was ready to face another game day. She even made me feel like I didn't have to take the whole Mayor thing seriously for a while."

Now Ralph was feeling the urge to smile because as he thought back, he began to realize just how true Gene's statements were, most of all about the little chubby man himself.

From afar, even throughout all those years, Ralph had observed the way Gene behaved whenever Mary was around him. Even when the man had hit the ceiling, when he was raging more than a rabid angry mongoose….

As soon as Mary stepped in.

As soon as she took ahold of his hands.

He stopped.

He softened.

He calmed.

Of course, EVERYONE knew it was more than that. It wasn't just Mary's ability to bring a sense of safety to everyone she talked to.

Ralph KNEW Gene cared for the little woman. No, CARE was too light of a word.

Gene _**LOVED**_ Mary.

It was no wonder the Mayor had launched into such a fury whenever he felt that she was threatened. For all the times that SHE had made HIM feel better, the man didn't want a single hair to be harmed on her but the steps he would take, the things he would put himself in.

Was the Mayor even THINKING?

Maybe that played into the isolation as well. After all, Mary had been hit by Turbo, Turbo had told Gene and the other Nicelanders the things he had supposedly heard from Ralph and then when they had that fight and….

And….

…

Fear is a powerful thing.

"I just can't stand it."

"Ya can't stand what, Big Guy?"

"Seeing Mary hurt." The Mayor said "I just breaks my heart, guys. This woman has gone out of her way to try to not only make up for what she did to Ralph but help everyone! She's helped so many people for YEARS, walking around the entire arcade until her feet hurt and her hands have turned red from baking and cleaning all day. She's done ALL of this for people and yet there have been so many who have walked these hallowed halls who believe she DOESN'T deserve to be treated like a character and why? Because she belongs in the BACKGROUND, that's why!"

The Mayor was starting to get worked up again, his fingers trilling on the table top.

"That hooligan said he was going to show her a lesson. A lesson for WHAT? I doubt Mary even KNOWS who that scoundrel. _**I**_ can't even recall a moment where we've been in the same room together for long but he felt he had the RIGHT to drag her into his fight, just like Turbo felt like he had the right to HIT her when she dare stood up to him!"

"What did Mary say?" Vanellope scowled, the chopsticks held tight in her teeth "I wanna know."

"Why?"

"Because I wanna hear just what that coward felt threatened by." Said the racer "I wanna know what got him so scared that he felt tha only way ta show how 'cool' he was was to hit someone who had never once before done the same ta him!"

"If you must know…." Said the Mayor "It was after HE shoved ME out of the way. We were trying to get seats to see one of his races but when he saw that we were not sitting in the designated 'background section' with the rest of the people whom he didn't want to sully his image, he went off. He had already lost so many races that day so to see us there? For us to be there when he had lost AGAIN, and this time by his own control?"

_WHY ARE __**YOU**__ HERE?!_

_We just wanted to see a race that's all!_

"It must have been HUMILIATING."

_I didn't invite ya lil butter-chunks here! _

_I thought everyone was welcome! _

"I TRIED to protect her."

Sir, there is no need for you to behave in such a manner before the lady! All she wanted to do was come here and watch you perform!

"But you can imagine how THAT went down."

* * *

"Is this any way to behave?! All she did was try to enjoy one of your races!" yelled a Mayor.

"Well, I prefer that tha 'help' keep themselves AWAY from the front row, lil man. That's reserved for people who actually matter in their games!" retorted a racer.

"What!? I see no signs indicating that!"

"If ya smart enough, ya wouldn't NEED signs to ta ya that your jellyrolls need ta park your rears OUT of my immediate sight!"

"TURBO! You're going too far with this! BACK OFF!"

"Don't tell me what ta do in my own game, short-stuff! I've already gotten enough outta ya an' your gang of munchkins! Don't make me show ya how ta act in public!"

A little chubby woman in pink stepped forward, pushing her companion in blue back.

"Young man, stop! Don't act as if I HAVEN'T noticed the way you've acted towards us before! Keep this up and-!"

"An' you'll what, PINKIE! Tattle on me? Tell that joke of a repairman that I was bein' mean? Bwaaaah! Nicelader tears! Ya can't do ANYTHIN' so ya need your diaper changer to do it for ya!"

The man in blue jumped up, grasping onto the woman's hand.

"THAT is IT! I was being lenient before but now-!"

**SHOVE.**

"SIT DOWN, SQUIRT!"

Down the little man went. Rolling, rolling, BAM.

His head hit the wall.

"GENE!"

"See what happens when ya mess with tha big boys? I was thinkin' ya would have gotten tha message long ago but I guess-!

_***SLAAAAAAP***_

"GYAAAAGH!"

And all went silent.

All went silent as everyone looked down, a small woman in pink standing before the crowd and a race in white, hunched over in pain, a hand on his stinging red cheek.

"How…DARE you?!"

Turbo said nothing.

"You have NO right treating us like this!"

Turbo was silent.

"I have given you enough passes young man but that is it! There was no reason for you to PUSH Gene like that! NO REASON AT ALL!"

"M-Mary, don't engage him!"

"Gene, let me talk! EVERYONE has talked over us since we got here but no more! I've been NICE long enough but THIS has gone too far!"

A little woman marched up to a big man, fire blazing in her eyes.

"I cannot BELIEVE that you treat people in such a manner and EXPECT them to call you a 'GOOD GUY'! And it's not just US! Don't think I haven't seen you pushing other NPCs around, sir! And for what reason?! TELL ME THE REASON!"

"Mary!"

"You sir, are no good guy! You're no hero!"

"Mary, let me take care of this!"

"You, Turbo, are a _**BULLY.**_ Just a horrible, HORRIBLE _**BULLY!**_"

Eyes flashed in disbelief, fingers twitched.

_But then…._

"Ya lil runt!"

A man struggled to get off the floor, his hand reaching for the one he cared for most.

"MARY!"

She hung in the racer's grasp, her feet dangling, her little hand gripping his to get free.

"A-AAH!"

"I knew ya lil freaks were gettin' too comfty here! Actin' all big an' tough, like ya really matter!"

"Turbo, put her down NOW! NOW, GOD DAMN IT!"

"Oh, m'bad Mayor! I'LL DO JUST THAT!"

_And then…._

_Contact._

The racer's hand flew down with great speed and strength, contact upon the body causing great pain upon the target.

_**AAAAAAGH!**_

_**MAAAAAAAAAAARY!**_

He saw her fall from his hands, land right at her feet. She huddle tight, shaking and clutching her arm, the once soft pink skin turning a sickly blend of purple and blue.

_He had done it on purpose._

_He had done it not only to hurt her._

_He had done it to hurt him._

A man in blue looked up, seeing the grey figure towering over him, eyes glowing and teeth bared.

"Maybe I should have aimed higher?" came a cackle "Can't believe I missed her fat face."

Gene could not move.

"C'mon, ya had so much ta say before."

Gene could not breathe.

"Still feelin' brave?"

Why had he done this? Why did he want to hurt her? Why did he want to hurt any of them?

"S'what I thought." Said Turbo "Ya lil bloats talk a good game but inside? Beneath all that fat and blubber? You're USELESS."

"I-! I-!"

"Heh, try it again Short-round. None of this would have happened if ya had been smart an' stayed in your place!"

Mary opened her eyes. She could see Gene frozen in his place and she could feel Turbo's presence over her.

He had become so monstrous, so evil.

And she had once thought that made some kindness would open him up.

How could she have been so wrong?

"Guys!" cried a voice from afar, footsteps rushing through the thick of the crowd "Guys, what happened?!"

"Let this be a lesson ta ya Nicelanders…."

A golden hammer twinkled brightly as the owner picked up speed "Gene?! MARY?! ARE YA OKAY?!"

"It doesn't matter how big ya act or what ya do in this arcade, YOU have a place!"

A figure broke through the crowd, trying to see what was going on "W-what happened?! Did someone get hurt?!"

"Remember NICELANDERS!"

"Is Mary hurt?!"

"You're just background characters. An' that's ALL you'll EVER be!"

"Gene?!" called the voice "Mary?! What happened?! What's goin' on?!"

* * *

Gene clutched onto his chopsticks, the memory so fresh in his mind.

"You know when you want to start something new? When you want to get a continue?"

"Yes?" said Ralph "I know all about that."

"I wanted that for us." Said the man "It's just telling when it's been made obvious that people would rather give TURBO another chance than US. I mean, it hurts me to my heart. Turbo, the man who has done so much. He mocked people, heroes, bad guys, damsels, it didn't matter. I mean, he reprogrammed a GAME for his own gain for crying out loud….and people are still behaving like him, continuing the mindset that he started. And Mary's crime? Her only crime was that she actually part-way followed my lead when I insinuated that you were just a bad guy Ralph. That's their ONLY crime yet people act like what they did was ten times as worse as what Turbo has done."

Vanellope began to scope the measurements of the crime and realized that Gene was right. Even more so, she could not imagine people letting Turbo, the man who had made her a glitch, the man who had taken over her game and rewired her team, off so easily as if he had done nothing, as if what he had done was justified.

NONE of his actions were justified and yet the ones who seemed to be paying for their crimes on-top of his were….

"I wish there was more I could do." Said the little racer "I always thought that when I came back, things would be so much easier for me, that things would be so much better in tha arcade but we still have a long way to go, don't we?"

"Very long." Said the Nicelander "I just wish in the long run I COULD do something more. That I COULD defend myself so we wouldn't have to rely on Felix so much."

"Ya know, ya shouldn't feel bad about lettin' Felix help. That's his JOB."

"I know its his job and I know it means the world to him when he sees people happy but come on Ralph. It has been too much. But then when we try to break from our habits, someone rushes in and knocks us back down. And people WONDER why we go to Felix. They give us a darn good reason to!"

The Mayor let out a snort, slurping up a bit of his noodles.

"Ya know, maybe if I had a bit'a height on me?"

Ralph peered over "Hmm?"

"I've always thought, maybe if I weren't such a shrimp, they WOULD back off." Grumbled Gene "People seem to steer clear of you when they figure they can't land a punch on ya."

"Whoa, hold it right there BIG. GENE." Ralph said with an arched brow "Size isn't everythin', ya can take it from me!"

"Then you can take it from me that being underfoot of EVERYONE isn't a picnic either."

"Hey now." Said Ralph "I already went off against Candy-Bug. I don't need nightmares about Gene-zilla!'"

"**RALPH.**"

"Aww, ya don't hafta be family size ta do somethin' good, Genie!" laughed Vanellope "From what Mary told me-!"

Gene perked up a bit; what had Mary told the child.

"I can tell ya brighten her day every time she gets a chance ta mess with ya!"

Gene was blushing even more "W-w-w-well! I-! *Ahem!* I only want the best for her. Sh-she's such a sweet heart."

"An' ya care for her."

The Nicelander winced in embarrassment, a pained look twisting on his face.

DARN IT!

"We all want a new start." Said Ralph "An' I think ya guys deserve one."

The Mayor turned "That's….that's so kind of you Ralph, it is. But will it mean any-?"

"YES. Yes it does mean somethin'!" the Wrecker said "Even if people continue ta fuss at ya, I just want ya ta know that I don't think ya guys are useless an' I know beyond the shadow of tha arcade that Felix doesn't either!"

To hear this, to hear this from the man he had once loathed all these years?

This WAS better than some medal.

Gene could feel a smile starting to form on his lips, the ends of his mustache curling as it always did when the feeling came so attempts were made to hide it but he couldn't push back the sense of happiness forming within him. Even if he were still having a hard time admitting that RALPH of all people had told him such things, he just couldn't believe how good it felt to hear someone, ANYONE, tell him that he wasn't a thing, that he wasn't useless.

That, yes, his job in the game was not worthless.

Okay, maybe it was alright to smile but knowing Gene….

"Heh." He smirked, eyeing the two rather smugly "Maybe the child is right, Ralph?"

"I was right about what?"

"You ARE nothing more than a walking marshmallow with the mushiness you're projecting!"

"Don't start with me, FLUFF-BOY. If anyone here resembles a marshmallow here, it's YOU!"

Ralph smiled.

"No, wait. Fine. I'm a marshmallow but at least I don't look like one who's been NUKED in a microwave!"

Gene eyed Ralph coldly "Hey now."

"Like a blue peep, that's what ya are!" Ralph chuckled "Maybe if we heat ya up good enough, ya won't hafta worry 'bout bein' so small anymore!"

"CAN WE TRY IT?!"

"If it works, the first things I'm going to do is eat BOTH of you. I swear to programmers I will."

* * *

"So after that, force the arm back an' WHAM!"

"OOOOOOH!" cried the crowd as they heard the loud THUD of the woman's fist colliding with the mannequin.

"Man, I betcha your PROGRAMMER could feel that if you were on the wrong end of THAT punch!" chirped a Flicky.

Back at the NPC meeting, Calhoun had made certain that things would remain lively but given that she was in charge, she decided that perhaps a new topic were at hand.

A topic that included self-defense.

"Any questions?"

"Uh, yeah. I don't think I have the size nor weight to DO that!"

"Then lemme show ya the LIGHT version of it!"

"Ah, wow sweeti-pie…." Grimaced Felix "Are ya sure that's meant for PROTECTION of for KILLIN' someone?"

The marine RIPPED the head off the throwing dummy she had provided for the demonstration. She looked down, pondering if she had perhaps gone a bit too far.

"Meh, just don't apply AS much pressure an' they should be fine!"

"_Oh lord."_

"Hey, they're back!"

Felix turned around to see a trio of characters entering through the tunnels, waving them a greeting as they approached.

"Hey guys! I was wonderin' where ya had run off to!"

"We went ta our FAVORITE stop, that's where." Smiled Ralph "Ya know. Tha place we're gonna hafta ta pay with our SOULS thanks to the tab we keep pilin' up."

"Tapper's? Burger Time?" blinked Felix.

"No, the OTHER place."

"How much was it THIS time?"

"Ms. Calhoun." Gene said in surprise "I had no idea that you decided to stay for the meeting."

"Mary invited me!" the woman grinned in pride "I find it a bit of an honor that a lady such as her let me speak! It's been kinda fun!"

"So you don't think it's an intrusion on your time?"

"HA! Not at all, Big Guy!" the woman said as she rubbed Gene's head like one would do to a child. She knew it annoyed him but that was part of the fun of it "Wish ya invited me more often! All these free goodies? Ya guys make a spread for EVERYTHIN'!"

"I'm just glad everyone is alright." Said Felix.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Gene question, noticing the look appearing on the handyman's face "From the sound of it…."

"Ms. Mary was so busy when I got back." The repairman said "I wanted ta give her a hand with tha cleanin' but ya know her. 'No, no dear! I have it! Just relax and have fun.'!"

Ralph and Vanellope heard Gene JUMP at the very mention of the woman.

"You mean she-!?"

"She WHAT?" Felix asked, looking so confused "What is it Ge-!"

Faster than a speeding hedgehog, away Gene went!

"WHOA!" said Calhoun, watching the man rush towards the apartments "Those lil guys are a lot faster than I thought!"

Once inside, Gene THREW himself into the elevator and slammed the buttons to his floor.

"_Sweet Ghost of Miyamoto! SWEET GHOST OF MIYAMOTO!" _

*DING!*

Top floor.

The man nearly tripped as he ran to his door and as soon as he opened it-!

"MARY!"

"OH!"

There she was.

Standing right before him.

She looked a bit tired, out of her normal work attire and dressed in something a little bit more fitting for cleaning. Her hands were once again red, a sign that she had worked past her limits but refused to stop.

But the apartment?

The apartment was IMMACULATE.

Seeing Gene looking so dumbfounded before her even stopped Mary in her tracks. She looked to the left, then the right, feeling a little mousy before him.

"S-Sweetie?"

She had done all of this, all of this for him. But….but how did she KNOW? How did she KNOW the apartment was messed up? Unless she had heard him from down the halls then she had-!

No.

IMPOSSIBLE.

Had she been there?

"You-!"

Mary shrank back, clutching a dishrag in her hand "Dear please don't be upset!"

"Upset?" the man said, walking slowly towards her "I'm-! I'm not upset!"

"Y-You're not?"

Gene took another step, then another. He couldn't stop looking at her. He couldn't stop…

"Oh MARY!"

The Mayor FLUNG himself into the woman, scooping her up into such a tight hug that Mary felt her feet leaving the ground.

"OH!"

"Oh honey!" the man sobbed but this were not sob of anguish or regret.

If anything, Gene sounded HAPPY in his tears.

"We're going to make things better!" he shook, pulling her closer "I will make things better! For you! For everyone! I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore!"

Mary's face was as red as a rose as Gene clutched her but she slowly embraced him as well.

Closer.

Closer.

Tighter.

_Tighter._

_Comfort…._

"You big baby…." The woman teased as she gave Gene a peck on his chubby cheeks "Chuuuu, if you're not grumping you're running around like some excited hamster."

Gene pulled away but rather than a pout, he gave the woman a smile.

"I….I don't grump and you know it."

Eyes met again before the two embraced once more, loving the warmth and comfort they got from each other.

"You smell like ramen."

Gene's eyes opened "Er, well you see."

"How many bowls, mister?" smirked the woman "How many?"

"Not that many!"

"Five? Six?" twittered the woman as she reached down and pinched Gene's sides "I think I can feel some of those bowls in here!"

"Nyyagh! MARY!"

"_It's too fluffy…."_ Vanellope said as she stuck out her tongue, peering around the corner at the scene that was unfolding before her _"This place is turnin' into a soap opera!"_

"_Yeah, but it's an opera I think I'm startin' ta enjoy…." _Smiled Ralph.

"So, do ya feel better 'bout things now?" Calhoun asked her love, taking his smaller hands into her own "I do."

"Tammy, ya know I can't stop worryin'." The repairman said "I mean, it's my job ta help an' protect people so I'm always a lil worried about what people are gonna do ta my friends!"

The little man looked down the hall, Mary shutting the door to the apartment.

"But ya know somethin'?" the repairman smiled as he tipped up his hat "I feel that there are better things in store for EVERYONE on tha horizon! EVERYONE!"


	15. Finale

Finale

"Quitin' time!" cried Felix as he and the other Nicelanders began their trek down the stairs. Down below, Ralph cleaned himself off and began to help the others in their repair duties.

"Man, was tonight great or WHAT?" the wrecker beamed as he helped Lucy clear some bushes.

"I'll say! I LOVE it when there's a rush!"

"Never worked better!" said Don, tossing a few broken stick into a pile "Everyone did a FANTASTIC job!"

"Y-Yeah!" meeped Meg, the shy little thing trying her best to get in with the crowd of others, her cheeks still blushing as she smiled "I-it's been a while since I've had this much fun on the job."

Seeing the smiles of the others, Meg felt a sense of bravery come about her. In that moment, she pushed her timidity away, throwing her arms up into the air.

"Aw, who am I kidding? I LOVED IT!"

As the little people chattered amongst themselves, Ralph could not help but feel so happy, feel so welcome, feel so whole.

All his life, THIS was what he had wanted. To be apart of the game, to feel as if there was a family within the tiny apartments but through his journey from one game to the next, the man had learned a lot about the Nicelanders as well.

He had always told the Bad Anons that they knew so little of him, that they never understood just who he was but as he was looking back, he could have said the same thing about himself. He DIDN'T know ANYTHING about the Nicelanders.

He had no idea that the things that had bothered him over the years, how they felt about their jobs, how some people had treated them? He never knew that he shared so something so similar with the tiny people but now that he knew, he did feel closer.

And he couldn't have been happier.

"So what are ya guys up to tonight?" the big man asked.

"I haven't made plans yet." Said Nel "Maybe a movie? A concert? Who knows."

"'Ey, I know!" piped Norwood arrogantly"Why don't we all go to Mortal Kombat an' pretend ta act susrprised that Deanna has been takin' lessons there?"

The man felt a heavy hand landing upon his shoulder, the grip so strong but so cold.

"I can bury you in places, NORWOOD." Deanna said with a devilish smile "I can bury you in place and they would NEVER find the code. I would do so HAPPILY."

Ralph had never seen someone turn so white so quickly, the red-head shuffling over and hiding behind Nel.

"H-H-Hey, mama! I'm suddenly feelin' tha urge to stay in! _And padlock all the doors for the safety of our lives."_

OH, NORWOOD.

Just as Ralph was about to comment on Deanna's latest threat, something popped up in the back of his head.

"Oh GOSH!"

"What is it, big fella?" asked Carlos.

"I totally spaced!" the Wrecker said, smacking his forehead "I got a call from Clyde that there was supposed to be a special Bad Anon meetin' tonight!"

"I thought those were usually held on Thursday….or was it Tuesday? No….Monday?" thought Tony.

Lucy patted her older sibling on the back, "Heh, yeah. Keep goin' through them days, bro."

"Either way, I don't wanna be late! Tha guys always get on my butt if I come even a second late!" the ma said.

"Ralph!"

Before he could take another step, Ralph turned, Gene waving towards him.

"Gene?"

"Excuse me, but has ANYONE seen Mary?" the man said "I was hoping to catch her as soon as the all-clear went out but since then? Not a trace."

"She's not in her apartment?" asked Kal "I mean…I was CERTAIN I saw her during the final win screen."

The other Nicelanders looked at each other, realizing that Mary had indeed slipped their sight.

"Oh gracious." Gene said in slight worry, wringing his hands "I hope she's okay!"

"C'mon Genie, ya now Mary can take care of herself!" Ralph said though he was worried just as much.

"I am not implying that she can not." The Mayor said tartly, adjusting his tie "I'm just saying that it is very unlike her to just up and vanish so quickly once work is over. She is usually down here helping everyone else clean up."

"Tell ya what." Said Ralph "Why don't ya head out with me as I go over to tha Bad Anon meetin' tonight. I'm sure if she's been in tha arcade, someone's spotted her."

"Alright." Gene breathed out, tugging at his cuffs in worry "If you think this is such a good idea."

The two men left together, looking about the station for any sign of the woman in pink.

"Ooooh, where can she be?" Gene fidgeted as he looked this way and that "I don't see a sign of her!"

"Keep your 'stache on, Big Guy! She's okay, I know she is!"

"Hiya, Ralph!" waved Vanellope as she came running from her own game "On your way to tha Anon meetin'?"

"In a sec. Right now, we're lookin' for Ms. Mary!"

"Oh, I think I saw her earlier!"

Gene light up like a star, turning towards the girl "You have?!"

"Uh, yeah." Vanellope meeped, a little surprised to how fast Gene had turned "She was headin' towards Pac-Man."

"PAC-MAN?!" both Wrecker and Mayor declared. They looked at each other and in a second, took off towards the game.

"HEY!" cried Vanellope "What's goin' on?! I THINK I MISSED SOMETHIN'!"

* * *

"Ms. Mary, this is GREAT!" said Sorceress as she took another slice of pie "Mmm-MMM! Puts me on cloud nine just eating it!"

"Thank you dear!" smiled the little woman as she held up another pie "Try all you want! There is so much to pass around!"

"Where is boysenberry?" asked Zangief, the fighter looking around "Zangief wanted slice of that but it seem someone has taken it from Zangief!"

"HA! Too slow!" said the frog-girl, holding the pie above the man with her elongated tongue "Try movin' those thighs of yours a bit faster an' maybe you're get some!"

"_**TINY FROG GIRL SHALL FEEL MY WRATH!"**_

"Now, now." Mary scolded as she took the big man by his ear "I will had none of that type of behavior over pie! Unless you want to spend the night in the corner, you will wait. I have plenty more so there is no need to fight."

Zangief lowered his head in shame, "Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am."

"Who wants more?" the woman chirped as she patted the man on the head "Blackberry! Strawberry! Chocolate and cream! All you guys deserve a treat!"

"Ms. Mary?"

The Nicelander turned to see four new comers standing at the door, their eyes filled with surprise at the celebration that was going on within the meeting room of the Anon meeting. Instead of stalling, the woman waved for the bunch.

"Ah, it was about time you got here Ralph!"

"Ma'am, what's goin' on?"

"Well, I was thinking. All this talk about pie and such, I figured that since everyone is getting another chance, I'd start by providing the Bad Anon meeting with some much needed refreshments. I mean stale cookies? Lukewarm tea? You guys deserve much more than that!"

Ralph was amazed as he stood amongst the rest of his Bad Anon buddies, the lot of them enjoying themselves greatly on the freshly backed treats that the Nicelander had made just for them.

Mary didn't have to do such a thing. She didn't have to come visit them, she didn't have to bake such an enormous amount of pastries but she did.

She did so because she WANTED to, because she wanted to see the Anons happy.

The Wrecker felt his heart flutter _"Th-thanks, ma'am…."_

Ralph looked down to see a figure in blue tottering up to the baker, shaking hands reaching for hers.

"Mary?"

Gene was astonished by what the woman had done, her actions proving to him even more just how much she wanted to help out the arcade.

"I-! Why didn't you tell ME about this? I could have helped you if it were too much trouble!"

"And let you eat all this pie before I got a chance to serve it?" the woman said with a teasing grin as she honked Gene's nose "Not on your life, mister!"

"OW, Mey-wee!"

"Oh hush and help me serve!" the woman said as she grabbed Gene and pulled him next to her at the serving table "And I don't want to hear you crying about how you're hungry or anything! There's enough pie to satisfy even your bottomless stomach!"

"Uh, okay?"

"Here…" said Ralph as he joined the Nicelanders "Scootch over you two, we'll help."

"Really?" said Mary as she looked at both Ralph and Vanellope.

"Sure will!" the girl glitched besides her buddy "After all, tha merrier right, Ms. Mary?"

Mary's face was all a glow at the sweet words of the little vanilla racer.

"Thank you so much, dear." The woman said "And you too, Ralph. Thank you two ever so much."

Gene said nothing, Mary's smile bring forth a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in years. It was the same smile she had given to him when they first meet, that moment where he felt that there was something so special about her, something so wonderful.

Something that could turn something as simple as pie into something that meant so much more.

"Is everything alright dear?"

The Mayor snapped too, straightening up.

"Everything is fine dear, not a problem at all!"

"Alright." The woman said as she placed a hand under the man's chin and gave him a sweet little smooch on his nose "Try to loosen up will you and smile."

"Yeah, Genie. SMIIIIIILE!" Vanellope teased as she made smooching noises towards the to "Ya look only about a QUARTER doofy as ya do when ya don't!"

"HMPH!" the man snorted, turning around and folding his arms against his chest "If that's the way you want to play-!"

"Gene, BEHAVE."

"But Ma-reeeeeeeee!"

"Er, I don't need to separate ya two, do I?" Ralph said, trying his best to scold the tiny Nicelanders "I can set some chairs up an' put ya both in tha corner!"

"PAYBACK FOR ZANGIEF!" the fighter cried from somewhere within the room.

"Don't you sass ME, young man!" Mary said, stomping her foot and pointing at Ralph angrily "Perhaps I should make RALPH PIE? Bake your butt in a giant crust and serve you up with a side of milk?"

"Heh, can I help?" smirked Vanellope "Tha ovens over at MY place are just tha right size for a nice hunka meat like him."

"VANELLOPE, I SWEAR-"

Gene tugged on Ralph's overalls, pulling him over to the side.

"Ahem, Ralph?"

The Wrecker peered down at the little man "Yeah?"

"Tell Vanellope that you guys can come over for tomorrow."

"Say what now, Genie?"

"I made a promise to you guys right?" the mayor said "Well, I intend to keep it. She's going to get her pie like she wanted."

Ralph smiled, shaking his head.

"Heh. Sure thing, Big Gene. We wouldn't miss a chance for some pie."


	16. Continue? Blueberry

Continue? BLUEBERRY

"Are you ready for this?" Mary cooed as she straightened the Mayor's tie. Gene cleared his throat, brows furrowed close together.

"Darling, what are you implying? That I am not ready to invite guest into my abode for a simple pie-baking session?"

"You say simple…" the woman continued, brushing some lint off the man's sleeves "But need I remind you what happened the last time?"

Gene blushed brightly "N-Now, come come Mary, dear. I am aware that I let things get out of hand but…."

"Yes? But?"

The man reached down, taking her hands gently into his own.

"That will never happen. I promise you, I promise everyone here that I will make sure that Ralph and Vanellope get the pie that they deserve and-! And even better than that! I shall-!"

"Gene…" Mary smiled, pinching the man on his nose playfully.

"WARK!"

"Just have fun…you need fun."

The Mayor rubbed his nose, peering down at the rose-colored Nicelander "F-Fun? What do you-?"

***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***

"Well, look who's here!" Mary sang as she looked towards the door "Shall I get that or-?"

"No, no! I've got it!" blustered Gene, rushing towards the door and nearly tripping on the way "What kind of gentleman would I be not to-!"

"_**BIG GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENE!"**_ squealed Vanellope, leaping into the air and aiming herself RIGHT for the man.

"_Oh Lord…"_

*BOOM*

"'Well, looks like we got here right on time!" the girl laughed loudly, having knocked the Nicelander on his back "Let's make a pie!"

Gene said nothing, looking off to the side and trying his best to keep his temper down.

"_She's just a child, just a child…."_

"Good evening, Ms. Mary." Ralph smiled, bowing politely towards the woman "Are ya gonna stay with us this evenin' an' help out?"

"Me? Goodness no!" the woman chortled "I have some errands to take care of this evening so you'll have Gene all to yourself!"

"YEAAAA!" Vanellope cheered "Does this mean we can sneak rum cake along with pie!"

"Not on your life child…." The Mayor grumbled, still struggling to get off the floor.

"Gene, what did I tell you about behaving in such a manner?" Mary teased, wagging her finger at the Mayor "We're here to have FUUUN!"

"Ungh, how can we have FUN if I can't get up!?" the man struggled, feeling such humility at the others seeing him trapped, his stubby arms and legs reaching in the air.

Darn Nicelander anatomy! Why did they have to be designed so they couldn't get up off their backs?!

"Here, lemme help ya." Said Vanellope, finally helping Gene off the ground but not without a little effort, surprised that the man was so much heavier than he looked. His cheeks blushing furiously, Gene brushed his cardigan, sniffling arrogantly.

"Well, now that we have that settled…."

"Enjoy yourselves, everyone!" Mary said in a tone as if Ralph and Vanellope had been sent over to BABYSIT Gene "And I hope the pie turns out great! You two should enjoy it very much."

"Oh, we wiiill….." Ralph grinned rather devilishly, rubbing his chin "We shall indeed."

And then, Mary was gone.

"So Genie-Beanie…" grinned the girl as she poked the man on his head "Where is this pie? When are we going to get started?"

Try as he might, the pudgy blue Nicelander could not hide the fact that he was a tad nervous over everything. He remembered the disaster of a session that had only happened a few nights ago but he had kept to his word that he would provide both Wrecker and Racer with another opportunity, one that he would not ruin with his grievances from others in the arcade.

"_C'mon Genie, just make the pie._" The Mayor thought to himself, standing tall and adjusting his tie _"You can't have everyone around here thinking you don't know how to have fun!"_

"Helloooooo? Mayor Blueberry….." Vanellope called "Ya there? We don't need ta call Felix ta fix ya, do we?"

"Hmm, what? Oh! Oh, of course not!" the man chuckled, strolling over to the kitchen "Shall we get started then?"

Much to the man's annoyance, the duo had not heard him, already wasting no time in prying and spying around his apartment. A small cloud of smoke formed over his head, Gene not liking being ignored.

"AHEM. I said-!"

"I didn't know you collected those lil Russian nesting dolls." said Ralph "Heh, I thought ol' Zangy was tha only one who-!"

"Don't touch those!" Gene shouted as he ran towards his fireplace, swiping the figures out of Ralph's hands "I mean-! Look….just don't lay a finger on any of them. They're not 'collectables' as you so put them, they're FAMILY."

"Pffft, considering Nicelanders kinda look like 'em…." laughed Vanellope, holding another matryoshka in her hand.

"Child, I am serious!" the Mayor said, looking worried and not unlike a child himself as he jumped and jumped up to reach her "My parents owned these! I can't remember the EXACT line from which they came from in our family but I don't want anything to happen to them, okay?!"

"But Mr. Mayor!" Vanellope begged, making her eyes as big and as bright as she could "Can't I just see what's inside! I love lookin' at these things!"

Gene spied the one she held in her hands, his face paling "WAIT! NO!"

"Just one peek! This one looks so grumpy! Kinda like YOU!"

The man put his face in his palms "UUURGH. Miss Von Schweetz! I-!"

_*POP!*_

The little figure opened with ease between the racer's finger but unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough to catch the rest as they fell to the floor.

"AH!"

Thankfully, the strong wood and the soft carpet didn't lead to a disaster but what happened next?

"Oh goodness!"

The other dolls fell out and came apart, the smallest of the bunch rolling towards Gene's feet.

There was something….ODD about the baby doll within the nest, Vanellope noticing that it was blue.

_Like Gene._

Had big cheeks.

_Like Gene._

And had a little G painted in gold on a blue sweater.

_**LIKE GENE.**_

Of course, the little baby was just that, a baby, but it didn't take long for Vanellope to figure out WHO that baby was. Gene could see it in her eyes, the man starting to sweat bullets.

"O-Okay, you figured it out didn't you?"

The girl looked over, seeing a picture next to where the doll had once been, the chubby-faced baby sharing the features of that of the smallest doll.

"YOU-?!"

Gene shook his head "It's an old picture!"

"The doll-?!"

The Mayor placed his hands on his cheeks "Mother said it was CUTE-!"

This was too much.

"PFFFFFFFFFFFFT- _**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_"

"What?" asked Ralph, rightfully confused "Tha heck are ya laughin' at, Nelly?"

Gene growled as he picked the pieces of the doll up, putting it back together, his cheeks never having burned so brightly.

"Ah, ha. Aren't you a SMART young lady…." He growled through a forced smile.

"Gene, what's goin' on? An' stop laughin' so hard Nelly! I think tha whole arcade can hear ya!"

"R-R-Ralph!" the girl cried, her sides aching "Th-th-the egg dolls!"

"_**Matryoshkas!**_" Gene snapped, slamming the figure back on the mantle place "They are called _**MATRYOSHKAS**_ thank you very much!"

"The baby is Gene!" Vanellope continued to giggle "HE'S the baby!"

Ralph looked over, stunned….

"_SNRK!"_

And then….

"Ralph, don't you d-!"

"_**BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_

What a night this was turning out to be.

"Oh programmers!" laughed Ralph, unable to take his eyes away from the photo "Th-this is almost as good as those pictures Don an' Nory showed us!"

"Oh, GOD. Don't tell me THEY had to open their albums!"

"Yup!" snorted Vanellope "An' it was SOOOO good! But not as good as THIS!"

Gene stood in the middle of the room, a hand on his aching head as Ralph and Vanellope surrounded him from either sides, laughing up a storm.

He knew he should have hidden every photo in the apartment. Why didn't he do so earlier?

"Ahaha, yeah. It's Fun-NEH!" Gene grimaced "Do you two want to make a pie or not?! We don't have to if you're going to keep up like this!"

"B-B-But-!"

Vanellope had to stop, she needed to catch her breath but then she caught another sight of the tiny wooden figure, her laughter brought up anew.

"I-It's so tiny! It's so doofy looking!" she cackled "All it needs is a MUSTACHE an' it would be COMPLETE!"

"Look! This thing? It's something my grandfather made! Is it MY fault that he made them when I was still a baby, in-story?!"

"YES!" cackled the Wrecker.

"RALPH!"

"O-Okay, Okay. I'm sorry Mr. Mayor." Vanellope sighed, finally coming off her fit "I-I just never seen anythin' like that from ya!"

"What do you mean by that exactly, young lady?"

"I mean…Well, I mean I never thought I'd see someone like YOU collectin' an' keepin' such things. I'd always pictured your apartment ta be filled with a buncha things I can't eat or drink because SOMEONE, WHO WILL REMAIN NAMELESS, told me I'm too young!"

Gene shot a glance over to Ralph; oh, how much the Mayor wanted to throw HIM out the window for a change.

"I guess I'm just surprised about your stories." Smiled the girl "Even you have one, I suppose."

An odd feeling came over Gene as Vanellope smiled at him. He had heard from the others just how much they enjoyed her company as well as the way she had reacted to the tales they had told her but he never thought anything serious about it. He had brushed it off, thinking it nothing more than the others trying to play up to the new 'President' of Sugar Rush.

But there was something to her tone, something to her smile that told the man she was being honest in her words, that she wasn't joking with him as so many others in the past had.

"What other stuff do ya have hidden here?" the girl smirked "Treasure? Weapons?"

"WEAPONS?!"

"Ms. Deanna seemed like tha type of person who would hide weapons SOMEWHERE in her apartment…." Vanellope thought "An' betcha Ms. Nel could use her heels an' sewin' equipment pretty much tha same way."

"Child…" the Mayor wheezed "I can assure you such things never happen around here."

"Heh, I guess ya don't know your neighbors as well as ya think, GENIE."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?!"

"C'mon, enough with tha teasin' kid." Ralph smiled "Let's get this pie out of tha way."

"Um, y-yes!" stammered the Mayor as he rushed over to the kitchen "A-And believe me. THIS time I have made certain that have plenty of everything! No worried about running out of ingredients or-!"

"Or some sort of food fight?" giggled the girl "Remember that? 'Less ya want us ta throw some things around? Make everythin' a bit more interestin'?"

"There shall be no messes in my apartment!" the Mayor said gruffly, putting his foot down "Now, unless you want to dawdle some more, young lady?"

"Of course not, SIIIIIR! We're ready an' waitin'!"

That grin; it was just as bad as Mary's.

"Fine. Ralph?"

"Yes, sahib?"

"You shall prepare the blueberries."

"Sure thing, Mayor Blueberry."

Gene's eyes narrowed but he held his tongue.

That name. It was ALWAYS that name.

Vanellope approached the Mayor "An' me, Genie?"

"I guess you can handle the dough. _**IF**_ you behave that is."

"Aw, c'mon sir! Ya can trust me!"

At this point, Gene felt that he couldn't trust Vanellope as far as he could throw her and considering his strength….

"_Measured breath, Gene. Measured breaths…"_

"So we're gonna make us a classic, all-American blueberry pie?" Ralph smiled as he washed a basket full of the plump berries "Heh, nice. I still haven't really figured out WHAT my favorite pie is with all the flavors I've tried so maybe…"

"Er, well…."

Wrecker and Racer looked over at Gene, the man busy away with the cream.

"Yes?"

"Its….a CLASSIC pie." The Mayor said "But it's not 'Classic American'."

"It's not?" Vanellope blinked "Then what is it?"

"Something that I apparently got from my grandmother. From, as the saying goes, 'the old country'."

Vanellope moved closer to Gene, MUCH too close for his liking.

"Reeeeally?"

"Um….please move back a bit. PLEASE."

"Tha OLD country, ya say. Where is tha old country, Old Gene?"

"I don't know…." The man shrugged in annoyance "I-I think Russia? Somewhere in Europe?"

"HA! So you DO share somethin' in common with Ol' Zangy!"

"Don't say that, Ralph. Just, DON'T."

"Guess that would explain tha Nicelander Dolls."

"Matryoshkas." Growled Gene "For the last time, they are called Matry-! Never mind…."

Ralph chuckled warmly, placing the berry basket next to the Mayor "Goodness, the origins of these pies! I never would have thought that so much went into them."

"Well, they are something to cherish." The little man said in a tone that just oozed pride, his ego just swelling "The fact that I can replicate such a dish for Felix every day? Ah, if my family existed, they would be so proud."

"Yes, I'm sure they would." snarked Ralph "Among the other WONDERFUL things you do, such as getting hurled out the window."

"RALPH." Gene snorted "We don't have to do this. We really don't."

"Ease it up there, Genie. I'm just tryin' ta lightening the mood!"

"Well, it was fine enough without the both of you teasing me as such…." Gene huffed, his cheeks blushing brightly again.

"Teasin' ya? Aw, don't even say that word!"

"Look, I said too much already!" the Mayor said "Let's get this pie done so-!"

"Mr. Mayor…."

The man looked over, Vanellope leaning on the counter next to him.

"Ya love pie, I can tell…." The girl began.

"Er, well. Y-Yes, I do."

"Stink-Breath an' I have been through all tha apartments here. We've been with ALL tha Nicelander an' ya wanna know tha thing that has really gotten me tha most outta all'a this?"

"Yeeees?"

"It's just how much PIE has done for everyone." The girl smiled "Pie really is special ta ya guys an' not just because it taste good. Ya guys have gone outta your way ta make your best pie ta make Felix HAPPY, an' its somethin' ya never really needed ta do since tha game made tha pies already if I remember right."

Gene nearly dropped the mixing spoon on the floor "U-Um! Th-those pies were-!"

"TERRIBLE." Vanellope nodded "They were TERRIBLE, weren't they?"

The chubby Mayor stood in silence for a while, a hand going to the back of his neck.

"TH-there was a good reason why a few of them ended up in the dump."

"I KNEW IT."

"_Ralph…."_

"What I wanna know…." Vanellope smiled, her hands on her hips "Is what Mister Grump-Tastic-Grump is hidin' from us about this pie. Why out of EVERYTHIN' ya could have made did ya choose this for Felix?"

Gene blushed even brighter, going back to stirring the ingredients.

"Can we just move on, PLEASE?!"

"Geeeeene!"

"Miss Von Schweetz, I don't have time for this!"

"PWEEEEEEEASE?"

"NO!"

"PWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE?"

"NOOOOOO!" Gene cried but the last call came out more in the sound of a WHINE than anything remotely angry "I told you NOOOO, child! I've said enough!"

"But Mistah Mayor, I wanna know!" the girl begged playfully "Or I'm gonna tell Ms. Mary ya were bein' an even bigger Grumpy-Grump an' she'll get mad an' she'll pinch your nose again an'-!"

"AUUUUUURGH! FINE!" the little man let out in a frustrated roar "Geeze, why does everyone have to dog-pile on me?! I wouldn't be HALF as 'grumpy' if you guys would just _**BACK OFF.**_"

"Now, now. Let's keep things civil." Ralph grinned, adding to the man's annoyance.

"I…."

"Yeeees?"

"This pie….."

Gene couldn't do it. He was surprised that he couldn't talk to either character like he thought he could. Only hours before, he had readied himself for their arrival and for their questions but now he felt so tongued tied, horrifically embarrassed as they were forcing their way thought him to get him to confess as to why he baked the pie he did for Felix. He could only guess in shame that the other Nicelanders had been able to regale their tales with some ease, even MEG of all people, but Gene?

Gene couldn't find the words he needed.

He hadn't felt this shy in years, not since….

Not since….

**MARY.**

"_UUURGH!"_

Yup, that same feeling Mary had given him when they first met and it meant one thing and one thing only.

That someone had begun to chip away at the hard, outer shell of the Mayor and was making their way towards the softer, blueberry-flavored center, the center Gene wanted very little to show through.

But he couldn't let Ralph and Vanellope down, not like the last time. Not like that terrible night.

Gene inhaled deeply, his chest puffing out.

"_Phoooo."_

He had to clear his mind for this, had to push back all that anxiety and fright.

"Okay, so you want to know."

"Yes!" said Vanellope "Or we can just make tha story up an' spread it from there so-!"

"DON'T." the man said "I've gotten so tired of rumors now. Next one that starts up, I'll begin burying people in the backyard…"

"_Don't test him on that!" _whispered Ralph _"I've seen him do it!"_

Gene began mixing the berries and the cream, dairy-free of course together, the beautiful blue swirl mixing with the white of the cream and creating an almost cloud-like formation inside the bowl.

"Yes. Yes, I would do anything for Felix….." the Mayor began "I mean, I owe the man. I owe him so much after EVERYTHING he has done for us. So what else is there more to tell? I just do this to make him happy."

"Ah-uh, Gene." Said Ralph.

"What now?"

"I know that tone. That tone ya use ta try to weasel your way outta somethin'."

"Ralph, unlike the other chatter-boxes around here, I DON'T like to blabber EVERYTHING about myself in such a manner!" the Mayor growled, Vanellope seeing tuffs of pixelated steam popping from over his head, a common feature whenever the Nicelander got angry. Gene stirred harder, shaking his head.

"Give me some freakin' credit, you two! Every time I open my mouth, someone turns it into something BAD. For ONCE, I would like some peace around here and more than that? I would like to have something of mine kept intact without it being twisted or spun or-!"

The man was rambling again, his cheeks puffing out in a pout.

"_Oh, blast it all…."_

Vanellope was starting to have second thoughts about her earlier teasing of the man. Apparently, he was still rather sore about something and trying to pry him to confess was only making him much more agitated. She had wanted Ralph and herself to enjoy the pie session, with just a little teasing for fun, but what fun was it if the man of the hour wasn't having fun either? Vanellope knew she liked to joke around with the man but even she had good enough sense to see when she was going too far.

She lowered her head, inching away slightly.

"S-Sorry…."

The little man in blue looked over "Excuse me?"

"Sorry Mr. Gene." The girl said "Guess I was just a lil too excited about everythin'. I didn't mean ta come off as that nosey. Ralph on tha other hand? He can't help it, his nose is so big!"

"KID."

"_Pfft!"_

Was that….a LAUGH?

A laugh from GENE?!

Vanellope looked over, Gene trying his best to hide the expression on his face "Mayor Gene?"

"_A-Ah, huh?"_ the man said, glancing away but Vanellope could see it, her eyes lighting up.

"Ooooh, I see how things are."

"Y-You see how WHAT is, young lady?"

"So there is someone in there with a sense of humor." The girl smiled "Just gotta make the right jokes an' he'll come out I see!"

"Y-Young lady!" Gene retorted, a hand held up "Y-You know better than to make such comments towards people, even Ralph!"

"What? I can't help it! Ralph writes his own jokes"

"Kid, you're gonna end up STUFFED in one those Mar….MARTY….Those wooden dolls if ya keep this up!"

"R-Ralph, leave the child alone…." Gene forced himself to say though his stifled laughter "Sh-she just-!"

"RALPH! WE HAVE AN OPENING!" the girl cried out "Get Gene before he returns to grump mode!"

"G-Guys, stop!" Gene laughed, finding it next to impossible to stop "C-Can't we just make this pie and end it?!"

Vanellope twisted the end of her ponytail "It's all up ta ya, Genie. Less ya wanna keep grump, grump, grumpin' about!"

"Oooh…" the man breathed out, pushing the mixing bowl away "Oh, forget it. You're just as bad as Mary."

"I am?" the girl blinked "How so?"

"She used to be a lil brat like you."

"Aw, c'mon Gene!"

"No, I am serious." The man smirked "You two think she's so great, that she is so mature and so dainty!"

The man then spun on his heels, his eyes becoming so bright and shiny as he posed like the pastry-master.

"Oh, tee-hee-hee! I'm Nicelander Mary! I'm just so angelic and perfect!" Gene said, his voice up even higher to sound like his beloved "Take this pie as a BRIBE so you'll tell NO ONE how much of an immature BRAT I can be when no one is looking! Giggle-giggle, laugh- laugh, other girly noises! Come here GEEEENE! I wanna mess with you all night because I am bored and have nothing else to do! Also, PINK! And strawberries! Did I mention PINK and STRAWBERRIES?!"

Vanellope found herself laughing again at Gene's imitation "Aw man, she WOULD have your butt!"

"But it's true!" the man said, taking the dough from Vanellope and rolling it out "A'course…."

"Yes, a'course?"

"If it had not been for her…." The man said, his voice softening as was his expression "None of this would have happened…."

"Ya mean tha thing with Turbo?" asked Ralph.

"Oh, GRACIOUS no!" the smaller man gasped "What I mean is…I think that had she not stepped in, NONE of us, and I mean NONE OF US, would have seen what potential we could do with our pies."

"Ya really think that?" said Vanellope, poking Gene in the cheek.

"Yes, I do." Nodded the man but he shooed her hand away "Had she not said something, had she not been the one to step up first I am sure we would still be handing out those repulsive pies to Felix this very day!"

"Ya know, after all these years…." Ralph began "It still amazes me what she can do. I never thought she could take on as much as she could but-"

"If only you knew…." Gene cut in, dusting the dough with powdered sugar "I bet she could lead this place much more smoothly than I could if SHE were the Mayor."

"Mayor Mary…." Vanellope said with a smile "Has a nice ring to it!"

"Yes, it does….but I doubt she'd like the BENEFITS of being Mayor, right Ralph?"

The Wrecker coughed "Wh-who knows. She might like the thrill of being thrown….and blown up."

"That night was just a storm though…." Gene said "A storm of so many emotions. We were all conflicted on what to do about it really."

Gene shook his head, the thoughts off the past coming back to him.

"I mean, we ARE going against the code, Ralph!" the man blurted "If people knew! If they knew the truth about everything! It would-! Oh, it would be an even BIGGER disaster! But we HAD to do it, we had to do it for Felix!"

"There is a difference between making sure Felix isn't poisoned by crappy pies an' screwin' with everyone in a game…." Said Ralph "At least ya guys are still workin' with your programmin' by handin' these things out. It would be different if ya were tryin' ta, I don't know, get out of it or-!"

"Or what?" asked Gene, looking more and more frazzled "You have no idea how many nights I stayed up, unable to sleep with thoughts that what we were doing was no better than what Turbo had done to Road Blasters!"

"Hang on a second, there Genie!" said Vanellope, a serious look on her face "Okay. Bakin' pies in place of nasty pixelated ones is ONE thing but are ya really tryin' ta say that what ya guys are doin' is on th same level as TURBO? REALLY?!"

"I-It would be seen that way." The Mayor said nervously "You'd be surprised what people say about so many things around here young lady."

"Oh PUH-LEEEEEZE!" the girl scoffed "From what I could gather, ya guys weren't goin' around tryin' ta be a butt an' take tha attention from someone else nor were ya tryin' ta unplug people from their own game! All ya guys wanted ta do was make pies! Make pies to make someone else HAPPY!"

Gene felt his face warming up from more blush; he could not believe what the girl was telling him. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right.

"Huh, just sorry I had ta wait this long ta get some of that pie Felix kept ravin' about!" laughed Ralph "But better late then never, I guess."

"He 'RAVES' about it?" Gene smiled, his heart warmed at those words "RAVES."

"Of course he does! I never got a moment in when those new pies came into play! 'Man, Ralph! I don't know what happened, but tha game suddenly began churnin' out pies that actually TASTE like somethin'!"

"You do know he eventually found out?" said Gene, digging through the drawers for something "He DID find out and boy….that was a talk."

"Was it bad?" Vanellope asked, feeling a little nervous.

"Eh….it was…..well, it was something that NEEDED to be said but as you all can guess, things were patched up soon enough and we were able to continue with our baking. So no harm was really done."

"That's good!" smiled Ralph "Since it would be a shame if ya guys stopped bakin'!"

"YES…." The mayor said in a harsh voice "It would, wouldn't it?"

"What was THAT for?" asked Vanellope.

"Oh, just more backstory garbage…." The little man huffed "You'd be surprised how deep such memories can go, even if they never play out in the actual game. They are always with us in our minds, always telling us to go forward or to stay back. We cannot escape them as they are the building blocks that eventually-!"

"Gene?"

The man blinked, realizing he was getting lost in his speech and in his cooking, nearly forgetting that Ralph and Vanellope were standing over him.

"…..YES?"

"Um, I can tell you pie has somethin' ta do with this. Ya can't hide that fact anymore…."

The Mayor moaned softly, pinching his brows.

"Okay, fine." The man grumped "According to my backstory…."

Vanellope felt as if she were on pins and needles "According to your backstorrrrrry-?"

"I-?"

"Aw, stop with the secrets Gene! Just tell us!"

"Fine!" the man said "I never actually wanted to be Mayor even though I eventually wound up being one ANYWAY."

Both Wrecker and Racer felt as if the floor had been taken up from under them, the duo nearly falling on the ground.

"WHAT!?" shouted Vanellope "Ya never wanted ta be M-!"

"Shush, SHUSH!" the man waved, placing a hand on the girls' mouth "That's something only a few of the guys know!"

"Then….then what DID ya want ta be?" Ralph asked, more curious than ever.

"I…"

He couldn't say it.

"I-!"

He just couldn't say it!

Or maybe….

Gene stopped, he thought.

Could he trust his two guests with the truth? Or would the blabber about, telling the entire arcade one of his deepest secrets which would only arm them with more things to throw towards the him?

But he had trusted Mary.

AND he had trusted Felix.

Why couldn't he trust Ralph, why couldn't he trust Vanellope?

They had proven to themselves to all the Nicelanders that they were not out to get them like so many others, both past and present, had. The two might have tested his nerves more often than once but as things were showing forth, they never wanted to hurt the Nicelanders.

So maybe….

_Deep breaths Gene, deep breaths._

"I-I wanted to cook." The Nicelander said "I wanted to cook, just like Mary."

It all made sense now; EVERYTHING made sense!

No wonder Gene had a taste for the finer things in life, no wonder he always had to make sure he was in charge of setting up EVERY dish at EVERY shindig that was thrown in the apartments. There might have been 'perks' given to the man for being Mayor but Gene was always at his happiest whenever he was creating something with food.

**FOOD.**

**IT WAS ALWAYS FOOD WITH GENE!**

"My father never liked it…" the Mayor continued "His son, the boy he planned on following in his footsteps from start to finishing, BAKING? Making food for others? He had always reminded me of how EMBARRASSING it was, how much I was putting him down by going towards such a profession."

"Wow….that's kinda harsh…" said Ralph.

"But I managed to sneak in as much as I could, behind his back and, well. That's how I can do so much now. And this?"

A small smile formed on the Mayor's face, a good memory forming in his mind this time.

"This…this was the first pie I made…."

"For Felix?"

"No…" the man shook his head "For MARY."

"Ms. Mary?"

"The one and the same."

The little man could not stop the smile on his face, the images of Mary's smile on her face as she gave her the plate. The sound of her laughter, the twinkle in her eye.

"_Oh, you big blueberry! Must you spoil a girl so much?"_

"_E-erm, I-I just wanted to give you something nice…."_

"_And you have dear, you have! I'm just surprised you left enough for ME!"_

"_If you're going to act like that, I regret making this."_

"Awwww!" cooed Vanellope "Ya guys would make tha PERFECT bakin' couple!"

"D-Don't say it like that!" the Mayor stuttered "I-I could NEVER reach the levels of her talents! She is like a GODDESS with her work! I could only DREAM of reaching the pedestal of which she has been placed upon."

"Well, ya could always invite her over more often ta bake pies_….among other things_." Snickered Ralph, enjoying watching the man squirm.

"_R-Ralph! There is a CHILD here, need you be reminded?!"_

"So is that tha reason ya eventually buckled?" asked Vanellope.

"B-Buckled? Buckled to WHAT?"

"Ta tha whole 'We can't make pies because that would be bad for tha game!" thing!" the little Racer said, trying her best to impersonate the Mayor "I betcha ya just wanted ta show off ta Felix those hidden pie-makin' talents! Show 'im that ya could do more than just do that scream. How does it go again? NYAAAAAAUGH!"

Ralph erupted into laughter once more, Gene wanting nothing more to do than crawl under the couch.

"We are all comedians this night, are we not?"

"Ya know, I think it's a good thing ya decided ta follow up on somethin' that ya like." Said Vanellope.

"Something that I-?"

"I mean, from what I remember tha other's sayin', ya can REALLY make a mean meal, Gene. When you're not eatin' everythin' yourself that is!"

"So I have a healthy appetite!" the man huffed "Is that a problem?"

"I'd say it's more SHOCKIN' than a problem." Laughed Ralph "Need I remind ya of tha tower of bowls ya inhaled at Street Fighter only a few nights ago? Tha guys sure remember it! They haven't stopped laughin' about it for DAYS!"

"See? That's why I DON'T like telling stuff to people! They always have to make it into some sort of INSULT or something!"

"We're not tryin' ta insult ya…." Said Ralph.

"TRYING."

"We're just…."

"You're WHAT, Ralph?" said Gene "What is it?"

"I guess when it call comes down to it, I'm a little surprised at how even YOU can make so much with pie."

The Mayor turned his head away, not wanting to show the two he was a little flattered by the comment. Granted, seeing Ralph comment towards his 'greatness' was always welcomed by his over-inflated ego.

"Hmmph, I guess Mary was right! This session was really worth it!"

"Then let's get the pie done!" said Vanellope "I wanna try this thing before-!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Gene waved "We are not done yet!"

"Aw, don't tell me there's more!" the girl whined "Can't we just put the berries in the crust an' bake it!"

"You could do that." Gene said with a snicker "If you wanted to make just any ol' pie. But this is? Heh, you'll see."

The little man took out a rather fancy looking cookie cutter from his vast collection, handing it to Vanellope.

"What do ya want me ta do with this?"

"Cut the dough of course."

"But I thought we were makin' PIE!"

"We are." Nodded he Nicelander "Just MINI pies."

NOW things were starting to turn.

Still a little unsure, Vanellope did as she was told, Gene and Ralph watching her as she cut little clover shapes from the dough.

"There, good. Good!" Gene said, pride in his voice "You're doing just fine!"

After a while, two dozen little clovers had been cut out, Gene dusting them with another helping of powdered sugar.

"Ralph?"

"Yes?"

"You can handle the berries."

"Ya sure about this, Big Guy?"

"Of course I am! Now hop to it!"

Now it was Ralph's turn on the pie assignment. He took a nice dollop of berry filling into a spoon and placed it in the middle of the clovers, watching Gene fold them up once he was done.

"And just repeat."

One pie, two pie, three pie, four.

With each pie that was filled, the Wrecker watched as Gene folded them with delicate grace and care before placing them on the cookie rack.

"Just a few more…."

When all the mini tarts were filled, the Mayor popped them into the oven, his smile bigger than ever.

"Just wait for a few…."

Soon the entire apartment was filled with the warm scent of blueberries, Vanellope lost in the delightful aroma.

"Oh GOOOOBS! They smell so good!

_Click, click, click._

*DING!*

All done!

"Baked to golden perfection!" chuckled Gene as he pulled the rack out with a gloved hand "But they still need a finish touch!"

The cream.

The Nicelander moved about the kitchen with such ease and comfort, giving each tart a good helping of sweet cream on top, the final touch to such delectable morsels.

Vanellope's mouth was watering as she stared at the baked-goods before her "Now I know how Candlehead feels!"

"Wait a second…." Said Ralph "THIS is the pie you make for Felix?"

"Why, yes. Yes it is…."

"But these things are tiny!" the Wrecker said, picking one up as carefully as he could "The thing ya usually give out ta Felix is….is many times bigger than this!"

"I just stretch out the recipe." Gene replied, matter-of-factly "I told you before, this is one of those recipes from 'the old country'! I just applied something new in order to make it perfect for Felix. A mini-tart becomes a wonderful, decent-sized pie!"

"Mmph, an' HOW!" Vanellope said, stuffing her face.

"HEY! Save some for me!" shouted Ralph, pulling the girl away from the tarts "We made these together, we SHARE 'em together!"

"Is it MY fault your too slow?"

"Vanellope!"

"Guys, don't make a mess of things!" Gene fussed "If you wanted more, you could have told me and we-!"

"Oh, is everything alright in here?"

"MARY?!"

Yes, Mary indeed.

"Oh, I heard so much commotion in here." the woman smiled warmly "I just decided to check and see if things were alright."

"Things are fine here!" smiled Ralph "In fact, Genie was just going on about how he wanted to bake even more of these lil tarts for EVERYONE in tha apartments!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, an' how he wanted EVERYONE in tha arcade ta taste 'em too!" Vanellope joined in.

"N-Now wait a moment you two-!"

"Oh, dear that's sounds WONDERFUL!" Mary said, clasping her hands together "I always knew it was a good idea to share our work with others! I was just waiting for you to join in."

Gene had never turned such a shade of rose before his love, his words caught in his throat.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-?!"

One mental slap and he was back.

"Ahem! You have?"

"'Course, I have Chubby-Chunks." The female Nicelander cooed, pinching the Mayor on his cheek "Doooh, 'bout time you had some fun with everyone, instead of being cooked up here in this apartment."

"W-Well, it's not that I-! What I mean is-!"

"Yeaaah, spend some time with Ms. Mary!" said Vanellope, reaching for another tart "Ya two could use a coupl'a nights on the town!"

"YOUNG LADY!"

"I would have to agree, Mayor."

Gene looked up, Mary eyeing him sweetly "What was that?"

"A few nights out of this place? It would do you well."

From Gene's point of view, it was if a burst of light and rainbows had formed behind Mary, his feet feeling as if they were lifting off the ground, his head filled with hearts and the sweet sound of song birds! He felt lost in his dream, his mind drifting.

"I-If you say so…."

"Besides…." The woman continued, putting a hand on her hip, the other hand going under Gene's chin "It would give you SO MUCH MORE TO DO! You know! ASIDE from telling our guest who much of a BRAT I used to be as a child!"

Gene's eyes went down to pin-points, seeing the sneer appearing on Mary's face.

"…..You heard th-_**AAAWRK!"**_

"Genie, GENIE!" Mary chortled, squeezing the man's cheeks with impressive strength "It's as you said yourself. There are ears EVERYWHERE in this arcade! I just so happened to have mine here at the EXACT moment you were exchanging those flattering comments!"

Ralph and Vanellope began to duck behind the kitchen counter, Vanellope taking the remaining tarts with her.

"Should we get ready for the fireworks?"

"YUP!"

_***WHOMPH!***_

"NYAAAAAGH!"

Before Gene had a chance to move Mary tackled him to the ground, the woman sitting atop him and pulling his legs back!

"Who's a brat again?!" the woman laughed powerfully.

"Who else but you?!"

"Wrong answer, Blueberry!"

"Mary,_** OW!"**_

"So…." Asked Vanellope "How long before these two tie tha knot? Placin' bets now…."


End file.
